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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of Israel have declared their support for the Jewish state in a rally outside the White House.
Jewish activists, rabbis and several members of Congress pledged U.S. support before learning that Israel had mounted a ground invasion to stop missile attacks from Gaza.
A parade of speakers rejected any moral equivalence between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers. Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Washington, said, "We Jews, Israel, value life, and Hamas thrives in death."
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that when Israelis are attacked, "Their fight is our fight," and "their enemies are our enemies."
A small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted anti-Israeli slogans from the sidelines.
Sound:
%@AP Links
267-a-14-(Rabbi David Saperstein (SAP'-ur-steen), director of the Union for Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center, at pro-Israel rally outside White House)-"neither will we (applause fades)"-Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Union for Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center, says Israel deserves America's support. ((note sound quality)) (17 Jul 2014)
<<CUT *267 (07/17/14)££ 00:14 "neither will we (applause fades)"
268-a-05-(Ron Halber, executive director, Jewish Community Relations Council, at pro-Israel rally outside White House)-"thrives in death"-Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Washington, says there's no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. ((note sound quality)) (17 Jul 2014)
<<CUT *268 (07/17/14)££ 00:05 "thrives in death"
269-a-10-(U.S. Representative Trent Franks, R-Ariz., in AP interview at pro-Israel rally outside White House)-"right to exist"-Arizona Congressman Trent Franks says the U.S. must support the Jewish state. (17 Jul 2014)
<<CUT *269 (07/17/14)££ 00:10 "right to exist"
270-a-07-(Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at pro-Israel rally outside White House)-"are our enemies"-Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says Israel deserves America's full support. (17 Jul 2014)
<<CUT *270 (07/17/14)££ 00:07 "are our enemies"
271-r-17-(Rally participants singing, at pro-Israel rally outside White House)--Sound of rally participants singing at pro-Israel rally outside White House. (17 Jul 2014)
<<CUT *271 (07/17/14)££ 00:17
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