A man with the Star of David strung around his neck had ventured towards men in Eagles hats, wearing keffiyeh scarves and "free Palestine" wristbands. He came from the other side of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, outside the Israeli embassy where crowds had gathered on either side of 19th Street. The west side of 19th Street was occupied by pro-Israel demonstrators, the east by pro-Palestine, separated by police and passerby going about their Friday workday with the luxury of indifference. 

 

Although nothing close to the demonstrations seen across the globe, Philadelphia experienced its own tensions between residents outraged by more than a week of Israeli air strikes and Palestinian retaliation that has so far resulted in nearly 300 Palestinian deaths and at least one Israeli death. 

 

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Some showed support for their side, some expressed condemnation. Each called the other terroristic and murderous. Few carried both flags in support of peace.  

 

"I have been sick to my stomach seeing what's going on in Gaza," Ania Loomba, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said. Loomba came out to stand in solidarity with Palestinians. 

 

"In 2008, I just felt completely unable to sit and stay away from protests, but there weren't any protests in Philadelphia at that point," Loomba said, quickly glancing around the diverse crowd. "Young people and all kinds of groups are beginning to see that we can't let U.S. tax dollars support what's going on there." 

 

But what's going on is a different story from the perspective of Albert Algazi, who was born into a Jewish family in Egypt where he attended a French Catholic school. 

 

"Tel Aviv is under siege right now," Algazi said. "Missiles raining on them every day." 

 

Algazi explained that Jews emigrated from discrimination in Arab countries, where they were religious minorities, to Israel, which welcomed immigrants with "open arms." 

 

"Everyone on the other side that you see, if you look at their signs, they want to eliminate Israel from existence," Algazi said. 

 

However, most of the signs on the other side read, "end U.S. aid to Israel," and, "let Gaza live." On the pro-Israeli side, signs referenced Palestinian children killed by Israeli force, blaming their deaths on what they called the use of "human shields."

 

On Friday during a press conference, President Obama reiterated his administration’s support for Israel. 

 

“I reaffirm my strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” the President said. “No nation should accept rockets being fired into its borders or terrorists tunneling into its territory.”

 

Both sides have fired rockets on the other, but the reported death toll is far from equal — close to 300 people were reported dead as of Friday afternoon after more than a week of air strikes and Thursday night’s ground invasion by Israel. Around 290 Palestinians were killed, 80 percent civilians, some children. One Israeli soldier was reportedly killed. 

 

The U.N. reported that 40,000 people were seeking sanctuary in 34 shelters.

 

The conflict in Gaza has impacted communities across the globe, from London to Los Angeles, prompting demonstrators to take to the streets and call for peace, show support or express outrage at violence. 

 

In Los Angeles on July 13, Israeli protesters clashed with Palestine supporters. In Paris, authorities even went so far as to ban pro-Palestine protests to maintain “public order,” according to the Associated Press, after small pockets of a July 13 peaceful protest erupted in violence on both sides. Media images of the protests focused on the violence, although many demonstrators showed support for peace and a cease-fire.