Locals protest for Israel, Palestine

“These are war crimes we need the world to remember. … This has nothing to do with politics. These were kids taken from their beds,” the representative said. “Those kids were kidnapped because they were Jewish Israelis, that’s it. They didn’t do anything wrong. We said never again and never again is now.” 

Hours later, a crowd of anywhere between 400 and 2,000, depending on official sources, gathered outside the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos Sunday to protest a gala being held by Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces. The nonprofit was established in 1981 with the goal of providing support to Israeli military personnel, veterans and their families. 

Seth Morrison with Jewish Voices for Peace, one of the two organizations behind Sunday’s demonstration, said the action was an important one meant to protest a group he said was raising funds for an army committing genocide. 

“This event was particularly important because we need to show we think they’re doing a terrible thing and show the community there’s actually fundraising going on for a genocide,” Morrison said, adding that the protest was hosted by two Jewish anti-Zionist organizations, the other being the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. “We are Jews who do not agree with Israeli statements that their government represents or stands for all Jews. Second of all, we’re totally committed to nonviolence.”

Since the outbreak of war, more than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed, about 4,100 of them children, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reported by the Associated Press. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed with another 240 taken as hostage, according to the AP. 

Jon Welte, president and CEO of Hiller Aviation Museum, noted Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces had reached out to the museum in May inquiring about booking the facility for its annual gala. The nonprofit was treated like any other group that books the museum for events and preparations were made, he said. 

As the conflict in the Middle East grew, Welte said the “context of the event” changed. The museum received calls to cancel the event and “chatter” online indicated a potential protest would be held, prompting officials to begin working with the Sheriff’s Office to prepare safety measures. 

“We had a meeting to ensure that the event could go on safely while simultaneously having a forum for people to demonstrate,” Welte said. “They went ahead and expressed their feelings about the event happening in the Middle East and the event did go on as planned. Everyone was able to participate who wanted to come. No one was impeded from being able to enter or leave the museum.” 

Welte and Morrison, along with sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Javier Acosta, described the event as largely peaceful. Welte noted protesters had dispersed before the event ended at 9 p.m. and a contingency plan drafted in case of an emergency was not used. Some vandalism did occur but mostly to neighboring businesses, Welte and Acosta said. Morrison also acknowledged a confrontation between a pro-Palestine protester and counter protester occurred but said volunteers trained in nonviolent conflict resolution quickly diffused the altercation. 

Hours before, Leya Leydiker, a Jewish San Mateo resident, observed the vigil. She described the scene in San Mateo’s Central Park as somber, a feeling she said has stuck since the early October attack. 

The vigil was also heartwarming though, Leydiker said. As community members who may or may not have a connection to Israel took time out of their day to read the names of each child taken from their home, she said it felt like those around her cared. 

“It made me feel like this is a community where people truly have empathy and they understand people are hurting in their community that are personally connected,” Leydiker said. “That’s the best thing we can do from so far away, raise awareness, make sure it is on the forefront of everyone’s minds.” 

Given a rise in antisemitic attacks, Leydiker said she did think twice about taking her children to see the display. As someone who frequents the Hiller Aviation Museum with her children, Leydiker also shared concerns about the event while acknowledging the right to protest. 

What specifically concerned Leydiker was the chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which she described as a call for the annihilation of Israel and all Jewish people living there. 

“To hear that chant from a place my family frequents was really horrifying,” Leydiker said. “Many of us are descendants from Holocaust survivors. We don’t want to see anything like that in the Bay Area and in our backyard. We’re strong, we’re here to stay and we want to live here like anyone.” 

Morrison, a Jewish man with friends and family living in Israel, asserted the phrase is actually a call for equal rights for Jewish and Palestinian people across all of Israel, noting hundreds of laws currently limit the rights of non-Jewish people in the country.

“We mourn for all the dead on both sides and we don’t want to see death or destruction on either side,” Morrison said. “When we say from the river to the sea, we want everyone, Jews and Palestinians, to be totally free.”