Four leading candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by the late Dianne Feinstein met in San Francisco Monday night, debating a range of issues including the state of the Israel-Hamas war.
The debate was moderated by Inside California Politics hosts Nikki Laurenzo and Frank Buckley.
Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Katie Porter (D-Orange County) and Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) participated in the debate along with the leading Republican candidate, former professional baseball player Steve Garvey.
All but one of the four declared their support for some kind of brokered cease-fire or pause to the fighting. Each had their own interpretation of what that would look like.
“Recently, a spokesperson for President Biden said that any peace will only begin with the elimination of Hamas,” Buckley said to open the topic.
Lee, a progressive who represents parts of the East Bay including Oakland, was first elected to Congress in 1998. Known as a staunchly anti-war lawmaker, in 2001 she was the only member of Congress to oppose an authorization for the use of military force after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. She condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion as “a terrorist attack” and said Israel “deserves to live in security and in peace.”
“I also have called for a permanent cease-fire,” she said. “Killing 25,000 to 30,000 civilians is counterproductive to Israel’s security.”
She also discussed the dangers of the conflict spreading.
“Now the United States is embroiled in what could be a regional war, and that is a real threat,” she said.
Pressed to say whether she agreed with the statement that peace must start with the elimination of Hamas, she said peace will only work with a two-state solution, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “would not agree to a two-state solution.”
Porter, who represents a Southern California district centered in Irvine, spoke next. She started by pointing out that Gazans had been let down by the leaders of Hamas, who she said bore responsibility for diverting vital resources away from civilians to fund their terrorist agenda.
“Heartbreaking scenes that have been created by this war are only deepening what has long been a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza with regard to food, water and medicine,” she said.
She also spoke about the estimated 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.
“I think that any peace should come with the release of the hostages, as well as a commitment by the United States and Israel to help rebuild Gaza and position it to flourish in the future,” she said.
Any peace should come with the release of the hostages, as well as a commitment to help rebuild Gaza and position it to flourish in the future.
Pressed on whether she agreed that it is necessary to remove Hamas to get to peace, she said the U.S. “should be pushing for a bilateral, durable cease-fire.”
“I think the way to get there — to have a secure Israel and to have the people of Gaza flourish — is to have different leadership for the people of Gaza,” she said.
Buckley then turned to Garvey, a former first baseman for the Dodgers and Padres and the lone Republican on the stage.
“Your rivals on this stage all support some version of a two-state solution,” he said. “Are you suggesting that Israel will have to occupy Gaza once this military conflict ends?”
“For anyone to think they could tell Israel that they can’t determine their destiny and their sovereignty doesn’t understand the people of Israel,” Garvey said.
He also called a two-state solution naive. Asked by Buckley to clarify whether it would be “OK” if Israel occupied Gaza, Garvey said it was an “ambiguous question” and “even if you were to think that this was a possibility, it would at least be another generation before that could happen.”
Buckley asked Schiff, who is Jewish, to say how he would respond to President Biden’s recent statement that Israel’s conduct has been “over the top.”
“Is the president wrong?” Buckley asked.
“Hamas is threatening to attack them over and over and over again. No nation could endure that,” Schiff said. “At the same time, the president is right to continue pressing Israel to try to avoid civilian casualties, to try to minimize the loss of civilian life.”
On whether he agreed that “Israel’s actions have been over the top,” Schiff replied that he supported an “extended pause.”
“I don’t know that I express it the way the president has. But I think he is right to try to bring about this negotiated deal.”
The debate took place at the KRON4 station in San Francisco. The candidates also debated in January in Los Angeles.
At that first meeting, Lee pointed to the fact that she’d been the first of the four to call for a cease-fire. Schiff at the time said he supported a Palestinian state but Israel had a right to defend itself, while Garvey said he stood with Israel. Porter said the circumstances were complex and that she had changed her stance to call for a cease-fire as the situation on the ground had changed.
The primary will take place on March 5, and the general election will be held on Nov. 5.