Editor,

Until Aug. 26, when I attended an event in San Jose featuring House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi on the occasion of publishing her new book “The Art of Power,” I was sympathetic to both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But while we were listening to the speaker describe what she lived through on Jan. 6, two members of the audience — one vitriolic, burka-clad female and one hate-spitting, aggressive male — stood up to shout down Mrs. Pelosi and disrupt the sold-out event. After they were corralled and escorted out to the chants of “boo” and “sit down” from the audience, I decided that if those were the kind of people supporting the Palestinian cause — people with absolutely no regard for the rights of others like those of us who had come long distances to hear the speaker — I would no longer offer any support to their cause.

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(6) comments

Ray Fowler

One word... Antifa.

Westy

So because of the actions of 2 people who protested in an inappropriate way, you are willing to stand by and support genocide? 2.3 million people in Gaza are homeless, neighborhoods are bombed to rubble, 1 million people are on the brink of famine, 7 hospitals have been bombed out of service. But yeah, you have permission to ignore all that because you disagree with the way in which 2 individuals spoke too loudly about it in the wrong venue.

Ray Fowler

Hi, Westy

I agree. The writer should not abandon humanitarian support for Palestinians or hope for productive talks between Palestinians and Israelis just because two people protested in what you accurately described as "an inappropriate way."

The two protestors did not do themselves any favors by alienating the LTE writer and probably others in the audience. Personally, while I disagree with much of what Nancy Pelosi has to say... let her speak... uninterrupted.

Not So Common

The People of Palestine voted for Hamas, thus they reap what they sow. A similar thing is occurring in America today. Unfortunately the majority of people in America are ignorant and the uninformed people who voted for Joe Biden outnumbered the informed, thus the uninformed who voted for Joe deserve the misery they are feeling today. Skyrocketing crime, an assignation attempt, inflation, high interest rates to control inflation, 13 million illegal immigrants, two wars etc... The Hamas / Israel war occurred because our current administration released funding to Iran which Iran then used to fund Hamas. Palestinians continue to support Hamas, Hamas and the people have brought this upon themselves. Of course there are innocent people that are being killed, and that’s unfortunate. And in America, there are honest, informed people who are being tortured by this administration. Ray, Terrence, Dirk, Ed, myself included, do not deserve what’s happening, but it is part of our Democratic Republic. The good news, come November, things will turn around when Trump is reelected..

Not So Common

It's not genocide, it's WAR and it's a WAR that Hamas, Iran & the Palestinian people started. Genocide is what happened to the Jews in WWII when 3 million Jews were thrown in ovens and exterminated. There is a difference between intentional killing and collateral deaths. This could all end tomorrow if Hamas would release the hostages, lay down their guns, rockets and stop saying "death to Israel" But that's probably not going to happen so Israel must continue and WIN the WAR!

Sam H.

Echoing Westy’s comments and adding have you considered that silence when genocide is being committed with our tax dollars and in our name is being complicit? Did it really just took two disrespectful anti genocide people to abandon “your human values”?

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