Letters to the Editor: Coachella artists should have acknowledged festivalgoers killed and kidnapped by Hamas in Israel

To the editor: There was a cruel irony to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong expressing support for “the kids from Palestine,” but not acknowledging Israel’s plight, at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival during Passover “(Green Day whips through its decades of pop-punk hits at Coachella,” April 13). It was at another music festival, during another Jewish holiday, that the Hamas-Israel war began. Thousands of Palestinian terrorists invaded Israel on Simchat Torah and attacked, among numerous civilian targets, the Nova Music Festival. Imagine going to Coachella for the music, only to be kidnapped or killed by terrorists.

Stephen A. Silver, San Francisco

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To the editor: I am disturbed to read that this article and headline are all about to what extent Coachella must have censored this music act versus the fact that Coachella allowed an act to make such hostile anti-Israel statements at all, at different places and times at the festival, including visuals, and verbally stating “F— Israel.” Your article never questions whether it’s hate speech or at least biased or controversial to allow such a hateful act to participate at this event (“Rap group Kneecap claims pro-Palestine messages were cut from its Coachella set,” April 21).

Bruce Stoffmacher, Alameda