NC lawmaker leads crowd in prayer as Democrats and Republicans vow to support Israel

Rep. Kathy Manning led what organizers said was more than 200,000 people in prayer Tuesday as they rallied against antisemitism, in support of Israel and for the freedom of hostages taken by Hamas.

“May the Holy One do all that must be done so that relief, rescue, and long life may be the lot of every one of the soldiers and civilians who have been taken captive,” Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, prayed. “Out of the depths have we called you, O Lord. O Lord, hear our voices, be attentive to our supplications.”

Manning was the last of the four co-chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, who divided up a portion of the prayer to read. As she concluded her remarks, the crowd began to chant in support of freeing hostages.

Tuesday’s rally was organized by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America. Manning served as the first female chair of the latter organization before joining Congress.

Bipartisan support for Israel from congressional leaders

Those in attendance at the rally heard from leaders of the House and Senate as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The bipartisan speeches in support of Israel came as some protests around the country, including in the Triangle, have called for a ceasefire. A ceasefire resolution in the House drew support from a fraction of the chamber’s Democrats, including Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, he traveled to Israel with five senators from both parties. They cried together as they learned about the horrors American hostages had gone through while captured by Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.

On Monday, during a White House news briefing, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he could not categorically say whether the American citizens being held hostage by Hamas were still alive.

“Israel, we in America have your back,” Schumer said at Tuesday’s rally. “We in America feel your pain. We ache with you. We stand with you and we will not rest until you get all the assistance you need.”

So far Congress has not been able to agree on a bill to provide funding to Israel, its ally in the Middle East. The House passed a bill last week that combined the aid with cuts to IRS funding, which Democrats did not support, and Schumer refused to bring to the Senate floor. But Schumer said senators would work on their own bill that would include aid for Israel, the Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told the crowd that Republican and Democratic lawmakers gathered together Tuesday morning to watch a video produced by Hamas that showed the brutality of the organization’s attack on Oct. 7. He said everyone in the room “wept,” and many couldn’t bear sitting through the entire video.

He also pledged that Congress would support Israel and ensure its people would endure forever.

U.S. officials say Israeli strikes in Gaza since the attacks have killed thousands of people.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also spoke to the crowd, pledging Congress would do everything in its power to stop antisemitic attacks. He said the United States must ensure that Israel can prevent Hamas from ever attacking again, bring every hostage home safely and then facilitate peace between the Jewish and Palestinian people.

“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself against Hamas terrorists,” Jeffries said.

This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 7:32 PM.

Danielle Battaglia

McClatchy DC

Danielle Battaglia is the congressional impact reporter for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of the impact of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.