**Regina Spektor Confronts Pro-Palestine Protesters at Portland Concert Amid Rising Tensions**
During her performance at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon, singer-songwriter Regina Spektor faced interruptions from audience members shouting *”Free Palestine!”* The Jewish artist, known for her vocal support of Israel, paused her show to address the protesters, stating, *”You’re just yelling at a Jew.”* The crowd largely rallied behind Spektor, with some chanting *”Am Yisrael Chai”* (the people of Israel live) in response. Spektor, who fled antisemitism in Russia as a child, expressed frustration, saying, *”I thought this was different than the internet. This is real life.”* After urging protesters to leave if they disagreed, a few attendees exited the venue.
The incident reflects growing tensions as global protests over the Israel-Hamas war intensify, even infiltrating entertainment spaces. Spektor has previously shown solidarity with Israel, performing at a pro-Israel event in October 2023 and criticizing Björk for her pro-Palestine stance. Meanwhile, other musicians, like Irish rap group Kneecap and British punk duo Bob Vylan, have faced backlash for supporting Palestine—leading to festival bans, legal scrutiny, and visa revocations.
The war’s devastating toll continues, with recent Israeli airstrikes killing at least 36 Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions worsen. The UN reports extreme food shortages, with a third of Gaza’s population enduring days without meals and at least 40 starvation-related deaths in July alone. As artists and audiences grapple with the conflict’s polarizing impact, cultural events increasingly become battlegrounds for political expression.
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.