Heckling Laura

last updated 8 January 2015

Jerusalem

On her first solo trip abroad representing the U.S., Laura Bush last week was heckled and jeered both by Israelis and by Palestinians. At the Jewish holy site of the Western Wall, Israeli protesters called for the release of Jonathan Pollard, an American convicted of spying for Israel. Protests were more raucous at a mosque at the Dome of the Rock, where Palestinians shouted, “Why is your husband killing Muslims?” Throngs pressed so closely around the first lady that her Secret Service guards had to link arms and form a human barrier. Bush said such passion was to be expected. “These are some of the most holy places,” she said. “Emotions always run high.” She spent most of her Mideast trip speaking about women’s rights and encouraging Arab women to be politically active.