k.

I AM
THE INNOVATOR.

I AM ISRAEL.

Rallying Support

Supporters of Israel plan massive D. C.
demonstration on Monday.

MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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Washin on, D.C.
he American Jewish com-
munity is mobilizing for a
major pro-Israel tally next
week that could bring tens
of thousands of people to the nation's
capital.
The rally, planned for Monday,
April 15, comes at a time when many
American Jews are anguished over the
situation in Israel and have been look-
ing for ways to express their support.
It also comes as the organized commu-
nity has been trying to devise a strate-
gy that would make the case for Israel
to the American government, the pub-
lic and the media.
The rally, coordinated by the
Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations, is still
in the planning stages. It is encounter-
ing some logistical difficulties, even as
some in the organization world are
questioning whether a rally is the best
use of resources — and whether it can
draw the type of attendance necessary
to have the desired effect.
It is also raising questions about
what the message should be — and
whether the rally might be seen as a
move against the Bush Administration,
which has been pressuring Israel to
withdraw its forces from the West
Bank towns Israel has occupied in an
effort to root out terrorism.
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel's former
prime minister, has tentatively agreed
to speak. Malcolm Hoenlein,
Conference vice-chair, is also hoping
to attract leaders of Congress and eth-
nic groups to speak.
Jewish organizations and federations
are mobilizing for the event, which
will come two days before Israel's
Independence Day. Stephen Wolnek,
the honorary president of the United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism,
said his movement would bring at
least 10,000 people from the
Washington area and is mobilizing
other East Coast communities.
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist
Organization of America, is calling its
grass-roots constituency and organiz-
ing buses from at least 12 states along
the East Coast, said Roberta Elliott,

national public affairs director.
The North American federation sys-
tem is also getting out the word.
"Whether or not there is unanimous
agreement" as to whether there should
be a rally *or not, this is a response to a
great deal of "pent-up desire to have a
voice;" said Gail Hyman, vice presi-
dent of marketing and public affairs at
the United Jewish Communities.
Some said a massive rally would also
counter the anti-Israel and pro-
Palestinian demonstrations taking place
in the United States and throughout
the world. But questions remain what
the message of the rally should be.

Israel or Sharon?

Some want the event to express sup-
port for Israel Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's policies, while others want to
keep the support strictly to .the Israeli
state and its people. This conflict mir-
rors one the Conference of Presidents
dealt with before issuing a statement
of solidarity last month. In the end, in
order to achieve full consensus, the
final version of the statement
expressed support for the state, but
not the government.
"We will not support a rally that is
in support of policies of the Sharon
government or challenges the Bush
administration," said Lewis Roth,
assistant executive director of
Americans for Peace Now "We haven't
seen what exactly the rally is about yet,
and once we have clarification of the
message we will decide whether we
will be on board."
Abraham Foxman, national director
of the Anti-Defamation League, said it
was essential for the American Jewish
community to support the Israeli gov-
ernment and that he would not lend
his organization's name to a rally that
does not. The Conference's leadership
has said they expect the event to be
non-confrontational, but others fear
the rally could drive a wedge between
the American Jewish community and
the Bush Administration.
And some have speculated that the
Conference of Presidents chose a rally
in Washington to control the message,
preventing smaller organizations plan-
ning similar events from choosing the
rhetoric. (I

