Bay Area Residents React to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

In several American cities, backers of the Palestinian cause and supporters of Israel held protests and vigils in response to the attacks by the militant group Hamas on Israeli civilians over the weekend. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands wounded. Hamas claims it is holding more than 100 Israelis as hostages.

In San Francisco, hundreds gathered outside the Israeli Consulate in Montgomery Street on Sunday in support of the Palestinian people and to demand an end to the United States’ military aid to the Israeli government.

“It is 2 million people living in prison, what we want is for those 2 million people to be free in Gaza, we want all Palestinians to be able to live on their ancestral lands,” said Waseem Hajj with the Arab Resource and Organizing Center based in San Francisco, one of the groups that organized the Sunday rally. “We want the occupation over. And, in particular, we here in the United States demand that this government stop its complicity with the Israeli apartheid system.”

Hajj stressed that there is a complex history behind the recent violence.

“When people are caged, they want to be free. You cannot trap 2 million people in … the world’s largest open-air prison and not expect them to fight tooth-and-nail for their freedom,” said Hajj. “You can’t expect people to roll over and die. You can’t expect Palestinians to do that. And so I think what I would ask is why have we allowed the situation?”

Protesters held up signs and waved Palestinian flags. Nearby, a group supporting Israel also waved flags and held signs. At one point, a scuffle erupted between the two groups.

A service held Sunday at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco attracted hundreds voicing support for Israel. Among those present was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who condemned the attack by Hamas.

“What they did was outside the circle of civilized human behavior,” said Pelosi. U.S. officials say they plan to send additional military equipment and ammunition to Israel in the coming days.

Bay Area residents with ties to Israel and the Palestinian territories are watching in horror as many civilians — sometimes friends and relatives — cling to safety amid ongoing violence.

Manny Yekutiel, owner of Manny’s restaurant and a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board member, arrived in Israel late last week for family and religious celebrations. His trip was disrupted by the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians in half a century on Saturday and spoke of the human toll as explosions took place above him in Tel Aviv.

“No one, especially no child, should have to feel that fear,” said Yekutiel. “And unfortunately, that is happening in Israel and that is happening in Palestine.”

He said most of the citizens are sheltering in place, while he and others have joined a large volunteer effort to bring food, water and clothing to those in need.

“We all need to help each other get through this extremely unprecedented time,” said Yekutiel. “And there’s a lot of pain in the air, too. Imagine someone of your own family being kidnapped and taken away. And so there’s this feeling of duty as well.”

Watching the images pour out from places she’s called home is both fresh and familiar for Palestinian American poet Priscilla Wathington who now lives in Daly City.

“As a human, I can feel the suffering and feel intense grief for the suffering of every human in the world and at the same time consider structural elements,” said Wathington.

Wathington wishes more of her fellow Americans would take an interest in U.S. foreign policy toward Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, saying U.S. efforts should focus on ensuring that everyone in the region has full human rights.

Gabriel Yankulin of San Francisco attended the service at Congregation Sherith Israel.

“I think a lot of Jews feel connected to that land,” he said. “When something happens [there], we feel it here.”

He said he is hoping for an end to the violence. “To stop senseless murder, to stop and to just seek peace … the solution is peace. Nobody wants more killing. So that’s the most important part. That’s what I hope for. And I think every single person here hopes for the same thing.”

Hamas officials cited long-simmering tensions including a dispute over the sensitive Al-Aqsa Mosque sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Competing claims over the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, have spilled into violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.

In recent years, Israeli religious nationalists — such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister — have increased their visits to the compound. Last week, during the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli activists visited the site, prompting condemnation from Hamas and accusations that Jews were praying there in violation of the status quo agreement.

Hamas also has cited the expansion of Jewish settlements on lands Palestinians claim for a future state and Ben-Gvir’s efforts to toughen restrictions on Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Tensions escalated with recent violent Palestinian protests. In negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations, Hamas has pushed for Israeli concessions that could loosen the 17-year blockade on the enclave and help halt a worsening financial crisis.

KQED’s Sara Hossaini and Ted Goldberg contributed reporting to this story.