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<\/a><\/p>\nRegina Spektor performs at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on July 31, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Lisa Dragani\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Later, she engaged in a back and forth with another audience member about the hunger crisis in Gaza, in a dramatic example of how deeply Israel\u2019s war in Gaza is interceding in the public consciousness and shaping the experience of Jews.<\/p>\n
The confrontation came 10 songs into Spektor\u2019s performance at Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon, when a protester began shouting \u201cFree f\u2014ing Palestine\u201d from the crowd.<\/p>\n
Spektor, who emigrated from the Soviet Union to the United States as a child, has faced scrutiny for her pro-Israel activism on social media. In November 2023, the singer rebuked fellow artist Bjork for sharing an infographic about the displacement of Palestinians, and in July 2024 she was targeted by the Instagram account Zionists in Music for being a \u201cproud Zionist who frequently posts her support for Israel on Instagram and X\/Twitter.\u201d<\/p>\n
During an event to commemorate the anniversary of Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas in New York City, Spektor sang a rendition of \u201cAvinu Malkeinu,\u201d the classic High Holiday prayer.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the singer stopped her concert and began speaking directly to the pro-Palestinian protester.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just yelling at a Jew,\u201d she said to the person who interrupted her set. To the rest of the crowd, she said, \u201cI don\u2019t know what he thinks he\u2019s doing. I really appreciate the security. We had a really hard time last night, when I said, \u2018Shalom aleichem.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the crowd responded by cheering for Spektor while others laughed, and several people yelled, \u201cAm Yisrael Chai,\u201d according to video of the concert posted on social media. Later, while an audience member who had yelled \u201cFree Palestine\u201d left the venue, Spektor said, \u201cI thought this was different than the internet. This is real life.\u201d<\/p>\n
When another audience member said, \u201cThere\u2019s a genocide happening,\u201d Spektor said, \u201cYou can leave the show if you want. This is not an internet comment section. I know that you are mistaking my show for a YouTube video.\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience member then replied, \u201cI\u2019m watching children dying. That hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you should go because this is not the place for that conversation,\u201d Spektor replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only reason I even speak English is because I came here to escape this shit,\u201d Spektor continued after several audience members left the concert. \u201cI only speak English because I came from a country where people were treating Jews as others, and now I\u2019m being othered here, and it sucks. It\u2019ll be nice if one of my family\u2019s generation didn\u2019t have to go to a new country and learn a new language.\u201d<\/p>\n