San Francisco candidates differ on Israel military aid amid Gaza conflict

San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan both describe Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and oppose funding from the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, according to Mission Local.

Both candidates pledge to vote against military funding to Israel, but Chan supports a full arms embargo preventing U.S. citizens and companies from selling military equipment to Israel, a stance she adopted recently.

Wiener, however, wants Israel to retain the ability to purchase missile defense systems from the United States, marking a key difference between the two candidates' platforms.

Pro-Palestine advocates in San Francisco have long clashed with Wiener and are backing Chan, who has been actively criticizing Wiener's record and encouraging political action committees to oppose him.

A pro-Palestine PAC spent $100,000 on digital ads against Wiener in late September, reflecting the heightened prominence of the Israel-Palestine issue since the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent Gaza bombings.

The contest over these positions is shaping the local congressional race, with public opinion shifting as the conflict continues three years after the initial violence.