Connie Chan, the Democratic candidate backed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to represent California’s 11th congressional district, has pledged to support a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel if she is elected to Congress.
During a televised debate on Thursday, just days before mail-in ballots are distributed to California voters, Chan stated she would vote immediately upon taking office to “end a genocide in Gaza and to end an apartheid state.” She also emphasized that humanitarian assistance must take precedence over military aid, telling moderators she would refuse to fund Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Chan, currently a San Francisco supervisor, is competing against fellow Democrat and state Senator Scott Wiener for the open seat left by Pelosi, who at age 86 is retiring from politics. The November midterms will see all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats up for grabs, as both parties battle for control of Congress.
While serving in Congress, Pelosi was a staunch supporter of Israel, frequently opposing boycotts and sanctions and voting in favor of military assistance. However, Chan’s position aligns with growing dissent within the Democratic Party regarding US foreign policy toward Israel.
Wiener, Chan’s opponent in the race, also characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide and has declared his opposition to providing bombs, offensive weapons, or funding to the Israeli military. He criticized the Israeli government, stating, “This government, and it’s not just [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, is an absolute abomination, in my view, in terms of what it has inflicted on Gaza, in terms of Israel empowering settler violence and land grabs in the West Bank.”
The candidates’ remarks reflect broader divisions in Washington. Nearly all Senate Democrats recently supported a failed resolution requiring the State Department to report on Israel’s human rights record, including the killings of nine Americans in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, several House members this week introduced the Stop the Settlements Act, which would impose sanctions on those involved in constructing or expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.
Iron Dome funding being cut seems risky. Don’t we want to protect civilians from missiles?
Does a embargo actually stop the violence, or just punish civilians? I’m skeptical it helps anyone.
I’m surprised Weiner agrees with Chan on this. I thought he was more centrist on foreign policy?
Interesting that both candidates want an embargo, yet Pelosi supported Israel. The party shift is real.