With the participation of Jews and Americans. Nakba commemoration rally near the White House

Washington — In front of the Washington Monument, about halfway between the Capitol and the Lincoln Monument, hundreds of Palestinians, Arabs and Americans gathered to commemorate the 1948 Palestinian Nakba.

Muslim Americans for Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Palestinian Christian Union for Peace, and other organizations contributed to the event.

The organizers distributed various introductory materials to highlight the magnitude of the suffering of the Palestinian people due to Israeli policies supported and blessed by successive US administrations.

The demonstration brought together Palestinians, Arabs and Americans (Al Jazeera)

The Palestinian youth movement distributed a paper newspaper to inform Americans about the Nakba and its repercussions, and the pledges of Palestinian youth to work to liberate their country from the Israeli occupation.

"Al Jazeera Net" spoke to many of the participating young people, most of whom came from states neighboring Washington, D.C., and dozens of Arab students at universities in Washington, D.C., who were keen to participate, accompanied by their classmates from American students, joined the march.

The demonstration began with the singing of the Palestinian national anthem, and a number of senior leaders of the Palestinian community gave short speeches at the demonstration, focusing on exposing the racist policies of the Israeli government and criticizing the provision of US financial, military and diplomatic support to Israel.

The demonstration was organized by Muslim Americans for Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Palestinian Christian Union for Peace (Al Jazeera)

Jewish participation

It was remarkable to have representatives of a religious Jewish movement that believed that the establishment of the State of Israel on Palestinian land 75 years ago was contrary to the teachings of the Torah.

Al Jazeera Net spoke to Enron Lieberman, one of the Jewish participants, who said, "We do not believe in Israel's right to establish a state in Palestine; this is contrary to the teachings of God."

"We live in the Brooklyn area of New York and are often harassed by pro-Israel Jewish groups, but we leave no opportunity but to travel anywhere in the United States to express our rejection of the establishment of the State of Israel and condemn its policies," Liberman said.

The demonstration witnessed the participation of a group of Jews who are hostile to the State of Israel for ideological reasons (Al Jazeera)

Investing in youth

Al Jazeera Net spoke to Dr. Osama Abu Rashid, one of the organizers of the demonstration, and one of the most important Palestinian-American faces opposed to the continued American support for the occupation state.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Abu Rashid, who currently heads the organization "American Muslims for Palestine", said that this demonstration reflects the memory of all Palestinians, of different age groups and religious and social backgrounds, of the Nakba of the Palestinian people in 1948.

He added that "there is a significant change in public opinion attitudes towards the Palestinian cause, as a Gallup poll showed that 49% of the followers of the Democratic Party expressed support and solidarity with the Palestinians compared to 38% for Israel."

Participants hold up banners saying that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine facing the White House (Al Jazeera)

He stressed the need to "take advantage of every opportunity we have to try to translate the progress in American public opinion towards Palestinian rights into a change in official American policies and positions towards the issue."

Abu Rashid added that Palestine is winning the battle of public opinion between young people born in the millennial Y generation (people born between 1981 and 1996) or those belonging to generation Z (who were born after 1997), who represent a huge percentage of university students and those who have not yet reached the age of 40, adding, "Therefore, we must work hard to communicate with them and inform them of everything new related to Palestinian rights."

Young Palestinian women demand an end to Israel's war machine (Al Jazeera)

Organizers of the demonstration confirm that the Palestinian cause wins among American youth (Al Jazeera)

Jews hold up a banner that reads, "Jews mourn 75 years since the founding of Israel – an act against God's will and a catastrophe for humanity" (Al Jazeera)