01/13/2026
ON USAGE OF THE TERM "GENOCIDE" AT THE US CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE IN SAN FRANCISCO
On January 7, 2026 at the congressional candidates debate in San Francisco hosted by the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, California Working Families Party and the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club the question “Did Israel commit genocide in Gaza?” has garnered so much attention and controversy.
Two of the candidates, Connie Chan & Saikat Chakrabarti have answered an unambiguous “Yes” and doubled down on their social media accounts after the debate. The third candidate, CA State Senator Scott Wiener has refused to answer the question stating that the format was too simplistic for such complex issue, which led to agitated booing & jeering from the audience. But four days later, Senator Wiener has changed his position to “Yes on Genocide” by posting the video statement in this regard on social media.
Our community is dismayed that frivolous use and weaponization of the term “genocide” has become a norm of the political debate in the United States. We are deeply concerned that false accusations of genocide against Israel have become a requirement for a “virtue signaling” among many politicians and public figures.
We call on all three candidates vying to represent San Francisco in US Congress to abstain from the despicable Hamas propaganda ploy of equating Israel’s defense against barbaric terrorists to the worst atrocities that could ever be committed.
The devastation of the war that was started by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the loss of innocent lives in Gaza and Israel cannot be diminished, dismissed or denied. But framing this most complicated decades-long geopolitical conflict in inflammatory terms doesn't solve a humanitarian crisis, but instead fuels further an animosity toward the Jewish community
Jewish students are attacked on campuses and Jewish individuals are attacked on the streets for “supporting a genocide in Gaza”.
Anyone who recklessly repeats or publicizes the “Genocide in Gaza” libel that was cooked up by Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood and their supporters should carefully consider the real-world consequences these baseless accusations have on Jewish individuals, communities, and institutions across the United States.
Public leaders and elected officials should know better than anyone that the statements of people “with a megaphone” carry a lot of weight especially in the current emotionally charged and deeply polarizing political environment.
We recognize that Senator Wiener has been a proud member and a strong supporter of the Jewish community throughout his many years of public service. Senator Wiener has emerged as one of the leading voices against antisemitism in California and he has personally experienced antisemitic attacks for leading California Jewish Legislative Caucus and for simply being Jewish.
We also recognize that Senator Wiener has refused to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza through out the Hamas-Israel war describing the association of that specific word with the Jewish state of Israel as "deeply painful and frankly traumatic"
With tremendous respect, we recognize that in an interview with “The Atlantic” Magazine, Senator Wiener rightfully called the questions about genocide "purity tests" designed to sort Jews into categories of "good" or "bad" based on whether they use specific rhetorical language.
Therefore, It is with great regret and disappointment, we state that Senator Wiener’s latest reversal of his nuanced and principled position and his latest statement on Israel committing genocide in Gaza lacks factual basis, moral clarity and consistency.
It is even more regretful and alarming if Senator Wiener had to do that in order to be considered a viable candidate for the US Congress in San Francisco.
