JCRC Statement
November 16, 2023
The JCRC of Greater Washington condemns in the strongest terms possible the violent demonstration that occurred Wednesday evening outside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill. We greatly appreciate U.S. Capitol Police for removing the unruly protesters and find it unconscionable that six officers were injured by protesters as they attempted to break up the crowd.
Let us be clear, these individuals acting under the banners of “Jewish Voice for Peace” and “IfNotNow,” do not represent the Jewish community and do not have the interests of either Israeli or Palestinian civilians at heart.
We will always support the 1st Amendment right to assembly and protest, but the fringe pro-Hamas organizations behind this and other unruly protests we’ve seen in recent days endanger innocent civilians and require police intervention.
Contrast the grandstanding actions of these groups with Tuesday’s peaceful and inspirational March for Israel on the National Mall, attended by roughly 300,000 people, where one law enforcement officer said he received “a career’s worth of thank yous in one shift.” We are grateful for the many law enforcement agencies that provided security at the rally and for their bravery in keeping our streets safe every single day.
History will judge that anti-Israel protesters undermined the Palestinian people’s efforts to secure safety by standing on the side of terrorists who, on October 7th, brutally raped women, burned babies, tortured and murdered entire families and kidnapped more than 240 people from 30 countries, ranging in age from nine months to 87 years.
We once again must reiterate that ill-informed calls for a ceasefire would simply hand Hamas terrorists a victory and enable them to pursue their stated goal of committing more October 7 massacres. That simply cannot be allowed.