LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman offered sharply different positions on the Israel-Gaza war, antisemitism and the use of the word “genocide” during a mayoral forum Tuesday at the Skirball Cultural Center as the city’s November election entered its final weeks.
The Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum featured separate, back-to-back conversations with the two candidates rather than a traditional head-to-head debate. The event was organized around issues important to Jewish Angelenos and included questions about community safety, antisemitism, homelessness, the social safety net and other city concerns.
Raman, who represents the city’s Fourth Council District and is challenging Bass, was questioned about her previous description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”
She said she has used the term after looking to experts on the subject, while acknowledging that she is not herself an expert on international law or the conflict.
“I have used that term. I’m not an expert on these issues, so I have looked to experts on these issues,” Raman said, according to the remarks provided from the forum.
Bass was asked directly whether she considers “genocide” an appropriate description of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
“When I think of foreign affairs, my focus is on how they impact the city of L.A. And no, I don’t,” Bass said.
The exchange placed an international conflict at the center of a local election, even though the Los Angeles mayor’s office does not determine U.S. foreign policy.
Gaza debate becomes a campaign issue
The disagreement over the terminology reflected a broader divide between the candidates over how a Los Angeles mayor should respond to international issues that affect local communities.
Raman has argued that events overseas can have direct consequences for Los Angeles residents, particularly when questions of antisemitism, public safety and community relations become part of local politics.
Bass, meanwhile, emphasized the responsibilities of the mayor’s office and framed foreign affairs through their effect on the city’s residents.
The candidates’ positions were presented to an audience of roughly 1,000 people, according to the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, which hosted the forum in partnership with the Skirball Cultural Center, Jewish Family Service LA, ADL Los Angeles and AJC Los Angeles.
The Skirball Cultural Center describes itself as a Jewish cultural institution rooted in Jewish tradition and American democratic ideals.
Antisemitism and Jewish safety also drew attention
The discussion about Gaza was closely connected to questions about antisemitism and the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
Raman said Jewish and Israeli-American residents should feel safe in Los Angeles and pointed to her previous condemnation of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
She also defended her willingness to participate in conversations with audiences that may hold strongly different views about Israel, saying political candidates need to engage with a broad range of Angelenos.
Bass emphasized her own connections to Los Angeles’ Jewish community and said keeping residents safe is part of her responsibility as mayor.
The discussion comes amid a broader national and local debate over how criticism of Israel, protests over the Gaza war and antisemitism should be distinguished from one another.
For voters attending the forum, those questions were not merely foreign-policy issues. They were also tied to concerns about safety, political expression and how the next mayor would respond to conflicts that reverberate through Los Angeles communities.
BDS becomes another point of disagreement
The candidates also differed over the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, commonly known as BDS.
Raman described BDS as a legitimate form of peaceful protest and said she supports people’s ability to engage in such demonstrations under the First Amendment.
Bass took a different position when asked how she would respond if a proposed Israel sanctions policy reached the Los Angeles City Council, indicating that she would veto such a measure.
The disagreement added another layer to the forum’s central question: how far should the city’s mayor go when international disputes become part of local political debates.
Neither candidate can determine U.S. policy toward Israel or Gaza, but the issue has become significant for Los Angeles voters who view the city’s response to antisemitism, demonstrations and community safety as an important part of municipal leadership.
Homelessness and affordability remain central
The forum was not limited to foreign affairs.
Bass and Raman also faced questions about homelessness, housing affordability, public services and the city’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Those issues remain central to the mayoral contest because they directly affect residents’ day-to-day experiences in Los Angeles.
Raman’s official City Council District 4 profile identifies homelessness services, affordable housing and city services among the areas she has emphasized during her time on the council.
Bass, meanwhile, is seeking another term after serving as mayor since 2022, with her administration continuing to promote programs addressing homelessness, housing and public safety through the Mayor’s Office.
The candidates are therefore campaigning on both long-running city problems and questions that have become increasingly prominent during the current election cycle.
Raman enters final weeks with polling lead
The forum came days after a Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed Raman leading Bass among likely Los Angeles voters.
The poll of 2,150 likely city voters, conducted Sept. 15-20, found Raman with 39% support compared with 28% for Bass, while 33% remained undecided. The survey had a margin of error of about three percentage points.
The Berkeley IGS Poll is conducted by the University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.
The numbers show a significant lead for Raman, but the large undecided group leaves substantial room for the race to change during the final weeks.
The election is scheduled for Nov. 3, and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk lists the date as the 2026 General Election.
Ballots begin going out as campaign enters final stretch
The forum also came as Los Angeles County moved into the voting phase of the election.
According to the county’s official 2026 election calendar, vote-by-mail ballots and ballot drop boxes became available beginning Oct. 1, while Election Day is Nov. 3.
The county says all registered voters are mailed a vote-by-mail ballot and can return it by mail, at an official ballot drop box or at any Vote Center.
That leaves Bass and Raman with a limited amount of time to persuade undecided voters and consolidate support before ballots are counted.
The forum did not produce a direct debate between the two candidates, but their contrasting answers on Gaza, the use of the term “genocide,” BDS and antisemitism offered voters a clear look at one of the most contentious areas of the campaign.
With homelessness, affordability, public safety and the 2028 Olympics also competing for voters’ attention, the final weeks of the race will determine whether Raman can maintain her polling advantage or whether Bass can close the gap before Nov. 3.
