As the ceasefire takes hold ending the fighting between the forces of Hamas and Israel, questions are being raised by central coast voters over controversial statements made by Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-20) as the carnage was unfolding. During the 11-day war, eleven Israeli civilians and close to 150 Palestinian civilians, including 66 children, were killed. The Biden administration initially supported Israel’s assault, blocking no less than four otherwise unanimous UN Security Council initiatives to impose a ceasefire before both domestic and international pressure finally led President Biden to press Israeli prime minister Netanyahu to end the assault. Several days into the fighting, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-20) issued a press release in which he quite appropriately condemned the indiscriminate Palestinian rocket attacks targeting Israelis as “despicable.” By contrast, there was no mention of the far greater violence targeting Palestinians by Israeli forces. Indeed, it was revealingly entitled “Statement on Violence in Israel.”