Overview
- After declining a yes-or-no answer at a Jan. 7 forum and drawing boos, Scott Wiener posted a video on Jan. 11–12 saying Israel's actions in Gaza qualify as genocide.
- Wiener cited Gaza's devastation and what he called genocidal statements by some Israeli officials to explain his conclusion.
- Jewish organizations including the Bay Area JCRC and JPAC condemned the move as incorrect and harmful, saying it diminishes the meaning of genocide and lacks moral clarity.
- Israeli officials rejected the allegation, with Consul General Marco Sermoneta calling it baseless and a vile blood libel, and other spokespeople criticizing the claim.
- Primary rivals Connie Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti, who had already said yes at the forum, accused Wiener of a politically motivated reversal, while a 2025 UN commission report labeling Israel's conduct genocide continues to frame the debate.