Scott Weiner switches position on Gaza after being heckled at Democrat forum

California Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener falsely called Israel’s war in Gaza a “genocide” on Sunday, shifting his position following political pressure in his race to succeed House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in Congress. He was called out on social media for apparently changing his view to benefit his political ambitions.

Wiener, one of three leading Democratic contenders in the contest, announced the change in a post on X that included a 90-second video. “I’ve stopped short of calling it genocide, but I can’t anymore,” he wrote. “For many Jews, associating the word genocide with the Jewish state of Israel is deeply painful and frankly traumatic,” Wiener added. “But despite that pain and that trauma, we all have eyes… and we all have ears.” He continued, “To me, the Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out, and that qualifies as genocide.”

Wiener noted that he had previously described the war in Gaza in different terms, including “total destruction” and “catastrophic levels of death,” but had avoided the genocide label until now.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Weiner's announcement followed a candidate forum last week during which Wiener was jeered in a lightning round when he was asked: “Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?” Two of his opponents, Supervisor Connie Chan and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti, held up signs that read “yes.” Wiener did not display either “yes” or “no,” later telling reporters that the format did not allow for the nuance of his position.

His shift also came the same day a profile of the state senator appeared in The Atlantic, which noted that he had not called the bombings of Gaza “genocide” and described the criticism he faced at the forum.

Chakrabarti condemned Wiener’s decision, framing it as politically motivated. “Genocide shouldn’t 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. “This is about moral clarity.” Emily Hyden, Chakrabarti’s campaign manager, said Wiener used the term only “when it looked like it would benefit his political career.” Hyden added, “That is exactly what’s wrong with opportunist establishment politicians who have failed our party.”

The comments drew an immediate response from Israel’s consul general, Marco Sermoneta, who rejected Wiener’s claims in a statement. “The allegations published by Senator Scott Wiener yesterday are baseless and have been repeatedly debunked,” Sermoneta said. He added that Wiener “chose to abandon facts and amplify Hamas propaganda to score political points,” and argued that the accusation amounts to a “vile blood libel against Israel.” Sermoneta further said the senator’s remarks “embolden the extremists who endanger Jews in California,” concluding: “True leadership requires standing up for what one believes is right, rather than pandering to the purity tests of the mobs.”

Online criticism spread quickly from other accounts and commentators. Open Source Intel mocked Wiener’s shift as a bid for votes, posting: “Hi people, I see your upset I didn’t call it a genocide, well, I’m 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, blasted Wiener in a post on X: “Gross. Throwing your people under the bus by indulging vile libels against them is no way to garner votes, Scott. 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 criticized Wiener, accusing him of falling for “manipulations and tropes” historically used to demonize Jews. Spielman argued that Wiener’s video omitted key context and suggested he was being “played.”