WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamín Netanyahu’s visit to Washington D.C. has a broader impact than international relations. Here at home, members of the Jewish faith have anticipated his arrival since it was announced earlier this year.
On a local level, this meeting has impacts for members of the Jewish faith. Leaders we spoke to said it’s because of the both the importance of the prime minister’s speech and faith leaders safety concerns.
On Tuesday, as protestors gathered in the Cannon Rotunda, WUSA9 spoke with several faith leaders across the DMV. On the phone they talked about the importance of Netanyahu’s speech to Congress.
In Downtown D.C. we met with leader Joseph Saka said it allows the prime minster to explain Israel's war directly to the American people.
“It’s important for Israel to make the case for why it has responded the way it has,” Saka said. “Then explain why it's important to go [into Gaza] and try to get back the hostages.”
However, the war in Gaza, and Israel’s handling of it, has created a massive divide here across the world and here in D.C.
This week’s visit brings more protests and concerns for Saka and his community.
“All it takes is a handful of bad apples to turn it from a message of anti-war to a message of antisemitism,” he warned.
That’s why some Jewish community leaders like Saka are taking extra precautions.
“For synagogues across the D.C. area, it means increased security,” he explained. “It also means staying away from Congress this week and trying to avoid interactions with hostile people who are here to protest Prime Minster Netanyahu’s speech.”
