Jeers and whistles interrupted a speech by the local Israeli consul general on Yom HaZikaron, a holiday honoring Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, when he shifted focus and said certain criticisms of the current Israeli government endanger all Jews.
Consul General Marco Sermoneta outraged some in the Palo Alto audience, many of them Israeli, who accused him of politicizing the solemn event. Many shouted “busha,” Hebrew for “shame.” Some tried to drown him out by singing “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem.
The Monday incident, which was covered by the Israeli press, reflected sharp divides in Israeli politics.
“Extremely disturbing, and deserving of firm condemnation, is the fact that there are those among us who make claims against the IDF and the State of Israel, which legitimize the slander of the Jewish state, and endanger Jews everywhere,” Sermoneta said, speaking in Hebrew.
“There are those who respond to this moment in our history by siding with those who wish the Jewish state the worst… in exchange for status, or a handful of votes,” he added.
The Yom HaZikaron event, which was led by teenagers, packed the room with Hebrew speakers at the Oshman Family JCC, including bereaved families of fallen soldiers. Many more tuned into the livestream online.
Several times throughout Sermoneta’s ten-minute speech, audience members continued to shout at him, with one calling out to “Please leave the stage!”
“You ruined this day!” another shouted.
Some tried to hush the crowd, shouting “sheket!”
At one point, a woman loudly sang “Hatikvah,” the national anthem, and others joined in.
Sermoneta appeared unbothered throughout.
Offir Gutelzon, an Israeli American who co-founded the expat group UnXeptable, which advocates for Israeli democracy and opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was present with his teenage son. The Silicon Valley resident was one of many shouting “shame” at the stage.
“This is one of the most sacred days for Israelis,” Gutelzon told J. on Tuesday. Sermoneta’s words weren’t simply political, he said, they were divisive.
“It was basically implying that people who are thinking differently and raising their voice are making one hand with the enemy,” Gutelzon said.
Tamar Sofer-Geri of Los Altos wrote an email to Sermoneta late Monday night, expressing outrage over his speech.
“It was a disgrace,” she told J. of Sermoneta’s remarks.
Sermoneta declined to address specific questions about his speech and instead referred J. to a statement shared with Ynet, an Israeli news outlet, provided by the Foreign Ministry.
“We regret that a handful of protesters chose without justification to disrupt and desecrate the Memorial Day ceremony in San Francisco and to desecrate the sanctity of Memorial Day and the memory of the fallen,” the statement said about the event in Palo Alto.
Zack Bodner, CEO and president of the JCC, issued an apology in a statement sent to J. on Tuesday.
“I want to apologize that at last night’s Yom HaZikaron event, our collective mourning was compromised. This day is, and has always been, sacred. It is intended to be a moment of profound respect, a time where we set aside our differences to stand together in shared mourning for those who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel,” Bodner wrote.
He added that the JCC is reviewing its protocols to ensure future memorial events remain focused on their intended purpose: “honor, memory, and respect for the fallen and their mourners.”
As Sermoneta completed his speech and walked off the stage to tepid applause, others continued to shout. The high school students who organized the ceremony went on with their scheduled programming, which included a sing-along in Hebrew.
“I remain so proud of the dozens of teenagers who worked tirelessly for months and poured their hearts into the readings, the music, and the tributes to ensure our fallen were remembered with dignity,” Bodner added.
Even with the disruption from Sermoneta’s remarks, “this was a beautiful ceremony,” Gutelzon said.Sermoneta, who began his tenure at the San Francisco consulate in the summer of 2022, will vacate the position in August. Israel’s Cabinet voted last November to approve the appointment of Ron Gerstenfeld to take over the post. The consul general assignments are designed to be short-term, lasting for a few years.