Wiener reverses course, calls Israeli military operations in Gaza ‘genocide’

After declining to call Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” during their first congressional candidates forum on Wednesday, State Sen. Scott Wiener publicly changed course.“We all have eyes, and we see the absolute devastation and catastrophic death toll in Gaza,” Wiener said in a 90-second clip posted to X on Sunday. “The Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out and that qualifies as genocide.”Wiener, who is Jewish, said that he has been hesitant to use the word because of its connection to the Holocaust, where six million Jews were killed.The hot button question came up during last week’s debate as part of the yes-or-no lightning round. Supervisor Connie Chan and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti both held aloft signs reading “Yes,” while Wiener rested his sign in his lap.Wiener drew the night’s heaviest jeers when he declined to answer. Audience members shouted “Shame on you,” “Sellout,” and “Free Palestine.”  In an interview with reporters afterward, Wiener lamented that there wasn’t time during the forum to describe his position on a complex international conflict, yet did not use the word genocide.“Hamas should not be running Gaza,” Wiener added, but the Israeli government’s killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children, is an absolute moral stain and horrifying to me.” When asked why he declined to label it genocide, Wiener said, “People can label it whatever noun or adjective they want to put on it.”The Chan and Chakrabarti campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wiener’s change.Ezra Wallach can be reached at [email protected]