Pro-Palestine rally occurs outside White House following Hamas attack in Israel

A pro-Palestine rally occurred outside the White House in Washington, D.C., and speakers called the attack on Israel from Hamas a “revolution.”

The Hamas attack, launched early Saturday, left as many as 600 Israelis dead and 2,000 wounded. The Israeli counterattack in Gaza and at Hamas structures has left 313 Palestinians dead and 1,990 wounded. Israel formally declared war on Hamas, the first time the nation has done so since 1973.

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At least four United States citizens are dead, and an additional seven are missing or unaccounted for, a U.S. official told the Associated Press. Several Democratic and Republican lawmakers have come out in support of Israel’s military defense, while some Democratic officials and allies have called for peace on both sides and an end to the “occupation” of Israel.

Protesters in front of the White House could be heard chanting “intifada,” an Arabic word that means to “shake off” and represents a series of protests or sometimes violent riots carried out by Palestinians against Israel.

The Palestinians used “intifada” to describe their uprising and frustration over Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The First Intifada lasted from 1987 to 1993, and the Second Intifada lasted from 2000 to 2005, according to Britannica.

“It’s only a matter of time before retaliation becomes your only option,” a speaker at the D.C. protest could be heard saying. “Liberation is a verb. It requires action. It requires commitment. If your support for Palestinian liberation ends when resistance begins, you do not support liberation.”

The rally outside the White House comes as President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. would send additional aid to Israel and mobilize aircraft and naval ships to strengthen its defense posture in the Middle East.

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A similar pro-Palestine protest occurred in New York City on Sunday — it was organized by the Democratic Socialists of America. New York Democrats like Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) condemned the rally, with Torres stating that it is “a sign of how far my beloved New York has fallen.”

“The DSA refers to ’75 years of occupation.’ For the DSA, the occupation is Israel itself,” Torres said. “Ending the occupation means ending Israel — the home of the world’s largest Jewish population. DSA has been so normalized within New York politics that it will pay no price at all for its genocidal celebration of Israel’s destruction in the wake of Israel’s deadliest terrorist attack.”