California State Senator Scott Wiener has ignited a political firestorm after abruptly labeling Israels military campaign in Gaza a genocide, a reversal widely seen as driven less by conscience than by calculation in his bid to replace former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
According to The Post Millennial, Wiener, a prominent Democrat and one of three leading contenders in the San Franciscoarea congressional race, unveiled his new position in a post on X that featured a 90-second video. In that post, he declared, Ive stopped short of calling it genocide, but I cant anymore, a formulation that immediately raised questions about why his moral threshold appeared to shift just as the campaign intensified.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Wiener acknowledged the emotional weight of his accusation for many in the Jewish community, of which he is a part. For many Jews, associating the word genocide with the Jewish state of Israel is deeply painful and frankly traumatic, he wrote, before adding, But despite that pain and that trauma, we all have eyes and we all have ears.
Wiener went further in the video, asserting that Israeli leaders are deliberately seeking to erase Gaza and displace its residents. To me, the Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out, and that qualifies as genocide, he said, a claim that aligns closely with far-left talking points and with narratives pushed by anti-Israel activists rather than with the facts on the ground.
The state senator admitted that he had previously chosen different language to describe the conflict, including total destruction and catastrophic levels of death, while deliberately avoiding the genocide label. That restraint vanished just days after he faced a hostile reception at a candidate forum, where the political incentives to move left on Israel were unmistakable.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Wiener was jeered during a lightning round when asked, Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza? Two of his rivals, Supervisor Connie Chan and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti, immediately held up yes signs, while Wiener conspicuously declined to show either yes or no, later insisting that the format did not allow him to express the nuance of his position.
His rhetorical pivot came the same day The Atlantic published a profile noting that he had not called the bombings of Gaza genocide and detailing the criticism he endured at that forum. The timing, coming on the heels of progressive outrage and media scrutiny, fueled the perception that Wieners shift was less about new evidence and more about appeasing the activist left that dominates Democratic primaries in deep-blue districts.
Chakrabarti, a former top aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and now one of Wieners opponents, wasted no time accusing him of moral and political opportunism. Genocide shouldnt be something you say yes or no to based on the reporter you are talking to or how your poll numbers look, Chakrabarti wrote on X, adding pointedly, This is about moral clarity.
Emily Hyden, Chakrabartis campaign manager, sharpened the attack by charging that Wiener only embraced the genocide label when it looked like it would benefit his political career. Hyden added, That is exactly whats wrong with opportunist establishment politicians who have failed our party, underscoring the intra-Democrat civil war between the hard-left and the partys traditional establishment.
Israels consul general to the Pacific Northwest, Marco Sermoneta, issued a forceful rebuttal, rejecting Wieners claims as both false and dangerous. The allegations published by Senator Scott Wiener yesterday are baseless and have been repeatedly debunked, Sermoneta said, warning that the senator had chose to abandon facts and amplify Hamas propaganda to score political points, and denouncing the charge as a vile blood libel against Israel.
Sermoneta further argued that such rhetoric does not merely distort reality but actively endangers Jewish communities already facing a surge in antisemitic incidents. He said Wieners remarks embolden the extremists who endanger Jews in California, and concluded with a pointed admonition: True leadership requires standing up for what one believes is right, rather than pandering to the purity tests of the mobs.
Online critics echoed that sentiment, portraying Wieners reversal as a cynical attempt to placate the loudest voices on the far left. The account Open Source Intel mocked his shift as a naked bid for support, posting: Hi people, I see your upset I didnt call it a genocide, well, Im running for congress now, so if I call it a genocide now will I get your votes? [sic]
Avi Mayer, founder of the Jerusalem Journal, condemned Wieners move as a betrayal of his own community in pursuit of power. Gross. Throwing your people under the bus by indulging vile libels against them is no way to garner votes, Scott, Mayer wrote on X, adding, I hope you get walloped, see the error of your ways, and apologize for letting your political ambitions overtake your sense of truth, morality, and decency.
IDF spokesperson Doron Spielman also weighed in, accusing Wiener of succumbing to manipulations and tropes historically used to demonize Jews. Spielman argued that Wieners video stripped away crucial context about Israels war against Hamas and suggested the senator was being played, a warning that underscores how easily progressive identity politics can be weaponized against Americas closest ally in the Middle East.
For conservatives and many in the Jewish community, the episode highlights a broader trend within the Democratic Party, where accusations once reserved for the worlds worst atrocities are now casually deployed against the lone Jewish state whenever it defends itself. As Wieners critics made clear, when elected officials start echoing Hamas propaganda and vile blood libel against Israel to survive a primary, the cost is not only measured in votes, but in the erosion of moral seriousness and the safety of Jews at home and abroad.
Login