Outside, 1,500 protesters shouted, waved bloodied Israeli flags and “Free Palestine” signs, blocked the road with their cars and flipped off arriving guests. Inside, 220 supporters of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces cried, sang “Hatikvah,” held two minutes of silence for those murdered and killed in the current war, and raised funds to support Israel’s soldiers.

The scene has become a familiar one in the Bay Area, although this one had the direct association with the IDF baked in. The Nov. 5 gala was already scheduled before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. It was meant to be a celebration but became a solidarity event after the attacks.

“There was nothing happy about it,” said Amarelle Green, executive director of FIDF in the Bay Area.

Green said security at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos was “tripled” and that at the end some people asked to be escorted to their cars. Many of the guests were “of a certain age,” she said, and were unsettled by protesters who were “shouting and screaming, being very aggressive.”

She said some attendees reported having stones thrown at their cars as they entered the parking garage.

“We cried inside while people outside assumed we were celebrating,” Green said. “Even the fact that we can’t mourn what is happening in Israel … it’s far away but close to our hearts.”

The keynote speaker was Nancy Spielberg, a prolific producer of Jewish-themed films and sister of director Steven Spielberg. Her daughter and son-in-law live in Israel. Holocaust survivor David Diamond led a prayer for Israel’s soldiers.

FIDF is the only organization in the U.S. authorized to raise funds for “emergency humanitarian needs” of the IDF and has been doing so since 1981. Green says her organization is getting lists from the IDF “on a daily basis, things we never purchased before,” including medical supplies to stock field hospitals such as defibrillators, hematology packages and a cooling container for blood supplies, and lists for spiritual needs such as “field arks for Torahs,” prayerbooks and “olive green kippahs.”

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