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By David Hernandez,Staff Writer
Jan 11, 2026 (SFChronicle.com)
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State Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during a Congressional District 11 candidate forum in San Francisco.Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
Sen. Scott Wiener referred to Israel’s war in Gaza as genocide for the first time Sunday, changing course after he got heckled at the first major congressional candidates forum last week. Wiener is one of three top Democratic candidates vying to replace Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.
“I’ve stopped short of calling it genocide, but I can’t anymore,” Wiener wrote, in part, on X. The post was accompanied by a 90-second video clip.
X video clip: https://x.com/i/status/2010464312792404192
“For many Jews, associating the word genocide with the Jewish state of Israel is deeply painful and frankly traumatic, but despite that pain and that trauma, we all have eyes … and we all have ears,” he said in the video. “To me, the Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out, and that qualifies as genocide.”
The Jewish senator noted he previously referenced “total destruction” and “catastrophic levels of death” to describe the war in Gaza.
Wiener’s post came after he drew jeers from the audience during a lightning round of questions at last week’s face-off between candidates in the race. The hot-button question was: “Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?”
Supervisor Connie Chan and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti held up signs that said, “yes.” Wiener didn’t hold up a “yes” or “no,” telling reporters afterward that his position was more detailed than the format allowed for.
His pivot also came after a profile on him published Sunday in the Atlantic. The story mentioned that he did not characterize the bombings of Gaza as genocide as well as the criticism he drew during the forum.
Chakrabarti criticized Wiener’s change of heart. “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 said on X. “This is about moral clarity.”
Emily Hyden, Chakrabarti’s campaign manager, elaborated in a statement, saying Wiener referred to the war in Gaza as genocide only “when it looked like it would benefit his political career.”
“That is exactly what’s wrong with opportunist establishment politicians who have failed our party,” Hyden said.
Julie Edwards, spokesperson for Chan’s campaign, echoed the sentiment. “People getting killed didn’t move him, but boos at a forum did. This is about politics, not principle,” Edwards said.
Wiener responded to the other candidates’ comments by saying “major international pronouncements should come from long, thoughtful conversations and deep introspection, not lighting round questions at a forum.”
“That’s what I did here, and that’s how I’ll govern as a member of Congress,” he said, adding that his stance was “the natural progression” of his past comments condemning the war.
Jan 11, 2026
Breaking News Reporter
David Hernandez covers public safety for the San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining the Chronicle in December 2023, he reported on crime, law enforcement and criminal justice for the San Diego Union-Tribune. A graduate of San Diego State University, he is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He was born and raised in Santa Cruz.
