(JNS.org) Israel’s Voice and Voice of the Copts, along with other grassroots organizations, are organizing a rally in Washington, DC to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s March 3 speech to Congress about the Iranian nuclear threat.
The rally, which is bring promoted under the hashtag#BibiSpeaks4Me and will take place at 9 a.m. at U.S. Capitol West on the day of the speech, has an estimated 1,000 confirmed attendees so far, Israel’s Voice President Michael Mendelson said.
On Tuesday, Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman partially reversed his initial criticism of Netanyahu’s speech, which has been opposed by the White House and some Congressional Democrats on the grounds that House Speaker John Boehner did not consult with President Barack Obama about inviting Netanyahu.
“While the original decision by Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the invitation to address Congress without consulting the Democratic leadership was, in our view, ill-advised, now that it is happening, the speech deserves support from both sides of the aisle,” Foxman said. “This is a time for Members [of Congress] to transcend the political controversy and come together to underscore the broad support for Israel’s security and understanding of its unique concerns about the threat of a nuclear Iran.”
In an event description for the rally, Israel’s Voice said, “Not surprisingly, Netanyahu has been urged to cancel his March 3 speech by Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and by the so-called ‘pro-Israel’ group J Street, which has been circulating on Twitter the hashtag, ‘BibiDoesntSpeakForMe.’ Yet, unlike the ADL, which has backpedaled to some extent, Israel’s Voice has remained firm in its support and has established the Twitter hashtag ‘#BibiSpeaks4Me.'”