Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched outside a Dallas hotel Saturday in an effort to disrupt a major pro-Israel conference meeting in Dallas, denouncing the gathering as supporting genocide.
Waving Palestinian flags, demonstrators shut down traffic around the Hilton Anatole, north of downtown Dallas, while calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
Protesters chanted “Free Palestine” and “Palestine is not your home,” holding signs that read “Israel is a terrorist state” and “Arrest Netanyahu,” referring to Israel’s prime minister.
The protest was one of several demonstrations this week targeting the Global Conference for Israel, which has emerged as a lightning rod as the Israel war divides the U.S. and protests rock college campuses in Texas and nationwide. Organized by the Jewish National Fund, the conference runs through Sunday.
“We want to make it clear the JNF is not welcome in Dallas,” said Fatima Mohamed, of Dallas, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement. “We were disgusted when we found out war criminals were coming here.”
Dovid Feldman, a rabbi and member of Jews United Against Zionism, told the crowd that Judaism and Zionism are not the same thing.“We should not conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Judaism,” said Feldman, who lives in Illinois. “Judaism, yes. Zionism, no. The state of Israel must go.”
About 2,500 people are attending the four-day event, which includes speeches by high-profile supporters of Israel, discussions about combating antisemitism and a Shabbat dinner with Texas barbecue. This is the first time the conference was held in Texas.