Leftwing Jewish activists campaigned against Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza this week in Washington, culminating in protests that have seen hundreds arrested for civil disobedience outside the White House and Congress.
But groups like the Anti-Defamation League have dismissed the actions as unrepresentative of fellow Jews, signalling a growing rift in the community as the war in the Middle East continues to claim thousands of lives.
Police detained about 400 demonstrators on Wednesday after they staged a sit-down protest on Capitol Hill inside the Cannon Building, the oldest congressional office building, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the latest hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians.
The arrests followed a similar protest on Monday, when 50 activists were detained for blocking the gates of the White House. The events were organised jointly by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, two leftist groups campaigning on an avowedly anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian platform.
Demonstrators – some of them waving Palestinian flags – have accused Israel of preparing to commit genocide in Gaza in retaliation for the 7 October attacks by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 Israelis and resulted in nearly 200 being kidnapped.
The author and social activist Naomi Klein told protesters gathered on Washington’s National Mall that Israel was “attempting genocide by making use of the Jewish fears of another genocide [against Jews]”. She added: “We will not let our fears of antisemitism be manipulated in this way.”
In response, the staunchly pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – formed more than 100 years ago to combat antisemitism – said the activists belonged to “far-left radical organizations [who] do not represent the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community”.
In a statement, the ADL’s Washington DC regional director said the activists were “anti-Zionists that challenge Israel’s very right to exist. Let’s be very clear – anti-Zionism is antisemitism.”
David Friedman, the conservative former US ambassador to Israel during Donald Trump’s presidency, went further, tweeting before Monday’s protest: “Any American Jew attending this rally is not a Jew – yes I said it!”
Some of those present were indeed not Jewish, but both Monday and Wednesday’s events were addressed by rabbis.
Brant Rosen, a rabbi from Los Angeles, told demonstrators on Wednesday that they were witnessing “one of the most consequential moral moments that any of us will experience in our lifetime”.
He said future generations would ask: “Did we act, or did we stand idly by while genocide was committed in our name?”
Some attendees recounted having their Jewishness questioned by co-religionists or even family members because of their antipathy towards Israel.
“I have been called a self-loathing Jew and spat on many times,” said Phoebe, 61, a musician from Alexandria, Virginia, who withheld her last name and said she had visited Israel four times.
“My brother and his family live in Israel. It’s caused huge rifts in my family; it’s really tragic.”
Mel Tanzman, 72, a retired social worker from New York, said: “I have never been to Israel. I have never been a fan of Zionism or any kind of religious state that is dominated by one group.
“You are called a self-hating Jew if you are concerned with what’s happening to the Palestinians. Any criticism of Israel is [seen as] antisemitic.”
Wednesday’s rally occurred in the aftermath of the previous day’s explosion at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, which killed hundreds of civilians. Israel was originally blamed for the strike, but US and Israeli officials have contested that report, saying it was more likely a failed rocket fired by a militant group within Palestine.
None of those the Guardian spoke to were willing to accept that version of events, insisting that history indicated that Israel was the likely culprit.
“Israel doesn’t have a record that gives you any reason to trust them,” said Ariel Gold, executive director of the National Fellowship of Reconciliation. “We know that their pattern is to obfuscate, lie and confuse when these things happen.”
Medea Benjamin, a veteran activist and founder of Code Pink, a women’s pro-peace group, pointed to a previous fatal strike on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City during the 50-day war of 2014 as evidence of what she saw as Israel’s likely cullpability in Tuesday’s incident.
“Judging by their past, it was very likely it was Israel,” said Benjamin, who had visited Gaza six times as an aid worker, including after the al-Shifa bombing, over which Israel also denied responsibility. “I remember being horrified by the scenes and thinking how could Israel have done that.”
But she added: “I think we shouldn’t focus on this. We should focus on the larger issue of Gaza – the feeling of not being able to come and go from your country, cross the border, import what you need, etc.
“How long is the US going to keep covering up for Israel’s crimes and paying for it? I think it’s hideous what Biden’s doing. He is giving cover for Israel’s bombing and killing thousands of civilians.”
Her comments reflected protesters’ frequent criticism of Biden, who was due on Thursday to address a nationwide audience in a prime-time televised address from Oval Office on the US role in the current conflict following his visit to Israel on Wednesday.
The US president has pledged to help re-establish Israel as a safe haven for Jews in the wake of this month’s Hamas assault. But he has warned the country’s leaders against allowing their response to be driven by rage or grief, pointing to Palestinian suffering and stressing the distinction between ordinary Palestinians and Hamas.
