Jewish Currents, the premier magazine of the Jewish-American political left, ran an article by reporter Will Alden last month called “Can Socialism Win Without Palestine?” The gist of the story was that Council member Nithya Raman’s campaign for mayor of Los Angeles was basically trying to run a campaign similar to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s, without talking about Palestine, Gaza, or Israel, and whether the Democratic Socialists of America’s L.A. chapter would field volunteer canvassers if she continued to be silent.
Well, at a recent mayoral debate hosted by the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles (JFLA), Raman said she believed Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Her opponent, Mayor Karen Bass, said she does not believe Israel committed genocide.
The debate generated a flurry of news and social media content, but will it actually affect how Angelenos, especially Jewish, Middle Eastern, and North African Angelenos vote?
“Yes, it will sway not only Arab American voters in L.A., but many other voters,” Rashad Al-Dabbagh, the founder and executive director of the Arab American Civic Council, tells L.A. TACO. “Voters in general, not only Arab Americans, they want their elected officials to reject pro-Israel lobbyists. And reject the influence of those lobbyists on politicians. Many voters have been following what's happening in Gaza, and they will align with those who take a stance that is supportive of justice for Palestinians.”