In a historic display of solidarity, Jewish American groups, spearheaded by Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow, took to Capitol Hill on October 18 to vehemently oppose Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. Over 5,000 Palestinians have tragically been killed by unrelenting Israeli airstrikes, prompting these activists to declare it as nothing short of genocide.

The rally, organized on short notice by Jewish Voices for Peace, saw thousands of Jews and allies passionately demanding an immediate ceasefire. This marked the largest Jewish protest in U.S. history in solidarity with Palestinians, with approximately 300 activists being arrested during a sit-in inside the Capitol buildings. The protesters, predominantly from Jewish Voices for Peace, defiantly wore black shirts emblazoned with messages like ‘Jews say cease-fire now’ and ‘not in our name.’

Media coverage captured the intensity of the protests, with The New York Times reporting about the arrests of Jewish Voice for Peace protesters inside the Cannon House Office Building. MSNBC featured Stefanie Fox, the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, highlighting the significance of the demonstration and its demand for a ceasefire. The Nation emphasized the rebirth of the Jewish justice movement, underlining the responsibility to speak out against the suffering of Palestinians.

Notably, the protesters aimed to convey a powerful message to President Biden and lawmakers, urging them to pressure Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire. The diverse coverage from various news outlets showcased the determination of these Jewish groups to challenge the status quo and reject the narrative that all Jewish people support the actions of the Israeli government.

This extraordinary display of dissent by Jewish Voices for Peace and IfNotNow, with the support of thousands, echoes a growing movement within the Jewish community against the actions of the Israeli government. The articles in this roundup capture the resilience and commitment of these activists who, despite arrests and opposition, stood up for their principles and demanded an end to the violence in Gaza.

Below is a list of media coverage of the rally:

About 300 protesters pleading for a cease-fire were arrested on Capitol Hill, organizers say., The New York Times, October 18, 2023

“Several dozen protesters who say they are from Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish anti-Zionist group, have been arrested after entering the Cannon House Office Building. The demonstrators, most of whom are wearing black T-shirts that read ‘Jews say cease-fire now’ and ‘not in our name,’ are being restrained with zip ties and led into police vans.”

300 arrested as Jewish protesters in D.C. demand Israel-Gaza cease-fire, The Washington Post, October 18, 2023

“’We are here to say, ‘Not in our name,’ Jay Saper said. ‘We are here as Jews — many descendants of survivors of genocide — to stop a genocide from unfolding in real time.’

Inside the House building, the protesters wore black shirts that said, ‘Not in our name’ on the front and ‘Jews say cease fire now’ on the back, as they sang and cheered over police warnings to disperse. The crowd inside Cannon included 400 American Jews and 25 rabbis who are against Israeli occupation and are demanding that Congress pass a cease-fire resolution, said Sonya Meyerson-Knox, a spokeswoman for Jewish Voice for Peace, a national Jewish anti-Zionist organization.“

Jewish Voice for Peace leader to Biden, lawmakers: ‘Tell Israel to implement cease-fire right now’, MSNBC, October 20, 2023

“Jewish American groups demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war protested at the White House and Capitol this week, with hundreds arrested. Stefanie Fox, the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the Jewish groups that organized the protests, joins Joy Reid to discuss.

‘This week we brought together 5,000 Jews in a massive demonstration demanding that Joe Biden and other American lawmakers tell Israel to implement a ceasefire right now. We believe this is the largest demonstration in history of Jews in solidarity with Palestinians.’

Protesters on Capitol Hill call for Gaza ceasefire, MSNBC, October 18, 2023

“Certainly no matter the arrests, you can see that this has not stopped the protesters from being here, from being loud. And this comes, of course, as President Biden is overseas in Israel, where he met with Netanyahu this morning [and] pledged continued support of Israel.”

Protesters on Capitol Hill call for Gaza ceasefire, ABC News, October 18, 2023

“You can see demonstrators starting to get removed now by U.S. Capitol police These are just the second round of demonstrators that we’ve seen forcibly removed. Another group was occupying this place where I’m standing at the moment, and capitol police removed them…there were actually some, because they refused to move, that were dragged out of here.” 

Protesters on Capitol Hill call for Israel-Gaza cease-fire, hundreds arrested, CBS News, October 18, 2023

“‘Biden really is the only one that has the power to pressure Israel right now and he needs to use that power to save innocent lives,’ Hannah Lawrence, 32, who came from Vermont.

Linda Holtzman, 71, a rabbi from Philadelphia, demanded an immediate cease-fire and urged Biden to ‘open your eyes.‘

‘Look at what’s happening in Gaza. Look at the devastation in Gaza,” said Holtzman. “If you want to be able to live with yourself, you need to stand up and end the genocide. I demand a cease-fire right now.’” 

Inside the chaos on Capitol Hill as hundreds of pro-Palestinian Jews arrested: ‘A moral catastrophe’, Fox News, October 18, 2023

“‘We were raised saying ‘Never again.’ Never again is right now. It’s this very moment,’ Liv, a member of the activist group Jewish Voice for Peace, told Fox News as demonstrators sang and clapped in the background.“

The Jewish Justice Movement Is Being Reborn, The Nation, October 19, 2023

“Jewish Voice for Peace organized the rally on just a few days notice, and protesters came ready to be heard. The arresting officers kept asking people if they were going to give up their right to remain silent, and it was as if everyone shouted back, ‘Hell yeah!’

In many places, Jewish silence on the oppression of Palestinians has reigned for too long. But at this moment of crisis, protesters said what perhaps had gone unspoken at family gatherings or in places of worship: that we have had enough, that we will no longer allow the suffering of our people—the pogroms, the Holocaust, or the Hamas killings—to be weaponized against others. Our history gives us an extra responsibility to speak out for those facing the specter of genocide.”-Dave Zirin

Jews Say “No” to War Crimes in Their Name, The Nation, October 18, 2023

“‘We’ve been devoting every waking second over the past week and a half to doing everything we can to stop the bombings. When we woke up to the news last Saturday [October 7, the day of the Hamas massacre], at the Simchat Torah celebration in Brooklyn that so many members of our community participate in, with over 20 congregations showing up to practice our ancient ritual, the rabbi who led that stated that she was turning it into a ‘stand with Israel’ rally. So that day, we immediately got into organizing an alternative space for our people to grieve, but transform grief into action.’”

Major Jewish-Led Protest in Capital Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Democracy Now! October 18, 2023

“Here in the U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace and other groups are rallying in Washington, D.C., today to demand an immediate ceasefire. Two dozen rabbis are leading prayers and mass civil disobedience.”

Thousands of protestors turned out in Washington, D.C., to support Palestinians, NPR, October 18, 2023

“‘I’ve been to Gaza as part of a humanitarian medical delegation, and I saw up close and personal what Israel has been doing to Gaza for the last 16 years. You know, I took an oath as a medical doctor to support health and life. And so I’m out here doing this as a doctor, as a Jewish person.’”-David Sperber