At a meeting Wednesday of the Alameda County Democratic Party — where members approved a resolution that condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza as war crimes — Rep. Katie Porter was asked to take a stand on Israel.

“Israel has the right to defend itself, but it also has the obligation to comply with the international rules of war,” said Porter, a Democrat running for the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Porter spoke before local party members debated and voted on the resolution.

Porter’s statement on Israel was in line with that of mainstream Democrats. However, it was at odds with both the Alameda County group’s position and that of left-wing Bay Area organizations and bodies since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and hostage-taking and Israel’s subsequent war and bombing campaign.

Porter, of Irvine, was attending the meeting via Zoom in support of her Senate campaign. She is running against Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland and Rep. Adam Schiff of Los Angeles for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 Senate race.

The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area condemned the resolution. 

“Among the resolution’s most egregious components is the fact that it failed to acknowledge that Hamas, which massacred 1,400 Israelis on October 7, is an internationally recognized terrorist organization,” the JCRC said in an email to supporters.

The resolution affirmed the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee’s “support and solidarity with the Palestinian people” and asked for a cease-fire in the current war and for the release of “all hostages held by Hamas & Israel.” 

Hamas is holding an estimated 240 hostages. Israel is not holding any hostages. 

The Alameda central committee also stated that Israel is “committing acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing by forcing 2,000,000 Palestinians to leave Gaza or risk being bombed.”

The resolution passed with 17 or 18 votes in favor — the official count was uncertain — and 13 votes against. Other members abstained.

Before the debate and vote, Porter was asked for her stance on Israel and Gaza and said that “allowing Hamas to flourish in Gaza is a bad outcome” for both the people of Israel and Gaza.

Porter’s position echoes that of President Joe Biden. Porter also said that the U.S. needs to push for more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

“It is our credibility on the line as a defender of human rights,” she said.

Israel has the right to defend itself, but it also has the obligation to comply with the international rules of war.

Porter noted that “the U.S. needs to be pushing our ally Israel to rebuild and invest” in Gaza so that everyone, including Gazans, can “thrive.”

“That is not the case under Hamas,” Porter added.

The Alameda County Democratic resolution also states: “Israel, according to its own leaders, is engaging in collective punishment against Gazans in response to the horrendous attacks by Hamas on 10/7/23 that killed 1,400 Israelis; this collective punishment against the Palestinian people includes the murder of over 8,648 and counting, of who over [sic] 3,450 children.”

Mainstream news services reporting death tolls in Gaza have been citing the Hamas-controlled health ministry, as independent verification is unavailable.

One “yes” vote on the resolution came from Pamela Price, the district attorney of Alameda County who is facing a signature-gathering campaign for a possible recall.

The meeting was contentious, with some of the two dozen in-person attendees often interrupting one another. There were so many viewers on Zoom that the meeting maxed out at 500.

“This is a doozy of a meeting,” committee chair Igor Tregub said.