Democrats for Israel – LA Update
The official newsletter of Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles
Read this newsletter online with all its graphics:
https://mailchi.mp/30d7bf8470d1/democrats-for-israel-los-angeles-update-for-augustseptember-10359047?e=db64bd828c
Read this newsletter as a PDF with all its graphics:
DFI-LA Newsletter 2026 10 large file size.pdf
Issue No. 3 / Volume (Year) 36 October / November 2026
Opinion articles contained within this newsletter do NOT necessarily express the position of DFI–LA; but rather the opinions of the respective authors. Submit stories to newsletter editor Paul Kujawsky at paul.kujawsky@gmail.com
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Why DFI-LA Supports Karen Bass for Los Angeles Mayor
By Gregg Solkovits
I'm betting many of you — if not most of you — watched the LA Mayor’s Forum sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and other organizations held on September 29.
Mayor Bass demonstrated why she has always been close to the Jewish community of LA, and Nithya Raman, her opponent, showed why many in the Jewish Community simply don’t trust her.
DFI-LA has supported Ms. Raman in the past, as a candidate for LA City Council. She sought out our endorsement, gave good answers and made it clear that she was reaching out to Jewish Democrats with promises of future dialogue. Raman had long ties to the Democratic Socialists of America — an organization that is happy to have its candidates run for office as Democrats, all the while bashing the party for refusing to embrace its panoply of “solutions” to our society’s ills. Among those “solutions” is a flat out rejection here in our city of Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles.
Raman was soundly criticized by her DSA colleagues for seeking — and accepting — our endorsement in that city council race. Clearly worried that she risked losing her “base” in the mayoral race, she did not seek our endorsement this time around. And she made it clear at the Mayors Forum that she embraces, accepts, and promotes a variety of anti-Israel positions, including one of the most nauseating libels of Israel — that it is committing genocide in its war with Gaza.
Raman is simply wrong when she accuses Israel of committing genocide and she knows it. Raman used the pathetic “this is my position because many experts say it.” Any cursory look at any reputable dictionary makes it clear that a genocide includes a deliberate, planned series of steps to wipe out a nation, race, or people. The population of Gaza has increased, not decreased. DFI-LA has tremendous sympathy for the innocent civilians caught up in this conflict, both Palestinian and Israeli. But sadly in any war, innocent civilians are killed. During World War II, the United States and England conducted around the clock bombing of Germany, destroying every German city but Heidelberg. Over 3.1 million German civilians were killed. Yet no one had ever accused the U.S. and England of committing a genocide against Germans.
But I digress. Nithya Raman is cynically playing semantic games to appease her DSA base. She is no friend of LA’s Jewish Community. She supports the DSA position calling for a boycott of all investment in Israel, the so-called BDS movement, designed to cripple Israel economically.
DFI-LA has not nor will we ever change our ideals. We support Israel, we support a “two states for two peoples” solution for peace, we oppose BDS, and we oppose antisemitism in any form.
That’s why we are supporting Karen Bass for LA Mayor. She’s a longtime friend of the Jewish community. And she’s shown strong leadership for all the many communities that make up our great city of Los Angeles.
Join us in supporting Karen Bass. Send Nithya Raman and her ilk a message. Being an Israel hater is not good politics.
Gregg Solkovits is the President of DFI-LA
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LOS ANGELES DOINGS
Garden Party October 25
Please join us on Sunday, October 25, 4:00 - 6:30 pm for our annual Garden Gathering, our biggest event of the year. Please consider supporting us as a sponsor as we enter the peak of this critical election season. Sponsorship and membership renewal or new members can attend this event for free. Please go to our Act Blue site at https://zioni.st/DFIGARDEN26. This year we will be holding our event at a beautiful private home on the Westside that will be easily accessible to those traveling from the San Fernando Valley. For security reasons the location will be withheld until the day prior to the event.
The 2026-2027 DFI-LA Executive Board will be elected at the Garden Gathering. If you know someone, including yourself, who would be a hard-working board member, send his or her name and a brief summary of relevant political and/or Zionist experience to DFI-LA Secretary Paul Kujawsky, Paul.Kujawsky@gmail.com
For those of you who haven't yet joined DFI, now is the time. What are you waiting for? We need you now more than ever to stand up and be counted for this unique Democratic Club. You can join for as little as $36. We do ask that you consider joining for at least $50. How many other organizations can you join at that price? Membership gets you in free to our October 25 Garden Gathering event. If you haven't renewed yet since this Spring, please do so now. Please direct any membership questions to jaydgreenstein@gmail.com
DFI–LA's Chanukah Party set for December 6 = Save the date!
Mark your calendar for the DFI-LA Chanukah Party on Sunday, December 6.
Help Call Bank for Ben Allen on October 12
Bay Area Jewish Dem Clubs, headed by the Alameda County Jewish Democrats, are organizing to support Senator Ben Allen, member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, and the most experienced and qualified candidate for California Insurance Commissioner. His opponent is openly anti Israel and not supported by the Jewish community. This is a very important and highly contested race. To help with the phone banking contact organizer Dan Kalb via his website: dankalb.net
Join a DFI–LA Committee
If there aren’t enough committee meetings in your life, DFI-LA has the answer: DFI-LA committees! If you would like to help DFI-LA accomplish its goals, please contact DFI-LA Vice President Jay Greenstein at jaydgreenstein@gmail.com
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CELEBRATION
DFI-LA President Gregg Solkovits to be Honored by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party
By Michelle Elmer
The 2026 annual Los Angeles County Democratic Party Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Awards will be on Saturday, October 24, 2026 at the JW Marriott @ L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. This year they are honoring 48 Democrats of the Year from our 24 Assembly Districts and giving special honors to the Pat Eastman Volunteers of the Year.
This year our very own president Gregg Solkovits will be honored as one of the Democrats of the Year from Assembly District 40. For more information and to join us, tickets and sponsorships are available here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fer26
Michelle Elmer is the Political Vice President of DFI-LA.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED
Be Part of the Midterm Election Solution
Don’t be a bystander during this critical election season. Many of us are being asked to donate for a wide variety of campaigns. But giving funds is just one way to help make a difference. There are many other opportunities to get involved. We need volunteers to phone voters, from a campaign headquarters or from the comfort of your own home. Many campaigns are also doing postcards to voters. Campaigns are dispatching precinct walkers to local races and to several of the closer House of Representative races in various parts of the state.
Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles is one of sixteen LA-area Democratic clubs supporting the Westside Democratic HQ at 228 Main Street in Venice, just south of Santa Monica. This HQ is already hopping with activity: phoning, postcarding and carpooling to various close House races in outlying communities. There are activities nearly every day between now and election day. If you live or work in Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey or Westchester this may be a place to consider for volunteering. To get assistance in plugging in, please contact jaydgreenstein@gmail.com
Another option on the Westside is to get plugged in with the Grassroots Democrats HQ located at 1027 Westwood Boulevard in Westwood Village. This HQ is also supported by DFI-LA, and is also doing phoning, postcarding and more.
Grassroots Democrats HQ’s “Midterm Mitzvah,” an in-person phone-banking and postcard writing event, is being held every Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Grassroots Democrats HQ.
DFI-LA is co-sponsoring the Midterm Mitzvah with Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA). Please be sure to bring your laptop/tablet, cellphone and headphones when you attend the Grassroot Democrats HQ events. For more information, contact DFI-LA Executive Board member Debbie Paperman at debbiepaperman@dfi-la.org
If you want to do a virtual phone bank from home, one good option is to work with the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) which is currently phoning for California Congressional races on Tuesday-Thursday evenings and Sunday evening from 5:30-7:30 pm. Please go to jewishdems.org/events to get plugged in.
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OPINIONS AND ENDORSEMENTS
The executive board of Democrats for Israel - Los Angeles goes through an extensive endorsement process each election cycle, sending out candidate questionnaires, reviewing them, and then voting on each one. You can see a full list of our endorsed candidates at dfi-la.org/endorse. Please feel free to share this page URL with friends and family. Note that in some races, multiple candidates have sought our endorsement, so please check our site for the most up-to-date information.
The Los Angeles City Attorney Contest
By Paul Kujawsky
The City Attorney is not a high-profile office, but it is important. The City Attorney Office is charged with giving legal advice to the mayor and the city council, and drafts the city’s ordinances. The City Attorney prosecutes (or doesn’t) misdemeanors. The City Attorney therefore can have a significant impact on the quality of life of Angelenos.
The two candidates on the November ballot are John McKinney and Marissa Roy.
McKinney is a UCLA Law School graduate and a prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office since 1997. He says:
“Safe neighborhoods are the foundation of a thriving city. For more than two decades as a prosecutor, I have worked to protect victims and hold offenders accountable. As City Attorney, I will bring that same commitment to enforcing the laws that keep our communities safe.
“That means focusing on repeat offenders who drive quality-of-life crime, addressing retail theft and organized shoplifting, prosecuting illegal firearms possession, and working closely with law enforcement to address dangerous activity like street racing and open-air drug markets.
“Public safety is not an abstract concept. It is whether families feel safe walking their streets, whether small businesses can stay open, and whether our parks and public spaces remain welcoming for everyone.”
McKinney is endorsed by LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman, LA City Councilmembers Traci Parks, Monica Rodriguez and John Lee, and the New Wave Democratic Club, Culver City Democrats United, and the New Frontier Democratic Club.
Roy, a Yale Law School graduate, is a Deputy Attorney General “who has spent her career fighting for civil rights and consumer protection.” Her campaign website says:
“Marissa is running to transform the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office into the largest public interest law office in the city. Anywhere people are victimized by businesses engaging in unlawful, unfair, or deceptive conduct, Marissa will step in as City Attorney and be a champion for justice. And as our city faces constant threats from the Trump Administration, Marissa will lead the charge in court so that Los Angeles is one of the most powerful fighters in blocking his illegal agenda and restoring people’s rights.”
Roy is endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America—Los Angeles. DSA is an explicitly anti-Zionist organization. The 2026 DSA Platform states:
“Recognize the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of return, the right to resist military occupation, and the right to self determination in a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. End all military and economic aid to Israel. Prosecute U.S. and Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide in Gaza.”
Paul Kujawsky is the Secretary of DFI-LA
Editor's Note - DFI-LA has endorsed John McKinney for Los Angeles City Attorney
State Senator Ben Allen for Insurance Commissioner
By Jay Greenstein
Because of California’s open primary system, there are several races where we find two Democrats running against each other in November. One of the races that we consider crucial to flag for our members is the runoff for State Insurance Commissioner. Ben Allen has served with distinction in the State Senate since 2014 representing significant portions of the Westside, the South Bay and Hollywood. Ben has been a leader in legislation on climate change and the environment. He is also a leading voice in the legislature on consumer protection legislation. He is considered one of the most intelligent members of the legislature. Ben Allen has received the endorsement of the California Democratic Party.
Ben Allen is also known as one of the most influential leaders of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. As the former co-chair and a current member, he has helped to build it into one of the most impactful caucuses in Sacramento. Ben Allen is the only candidate endorsed by our statewide organization, California Jewish Democrats. (DFI-LA defers to CJD for statewide races.) Ben has close ties to leaders throughout the Jewish community.
Allen is running against San Francisco County Supervisor Jane Kim. She is backed by many political leaders on the left of the party. Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna, two of Israel’s biggest detractors in Congress, are coming to Los Angeles to campaign for her.
We have an opportunity to bring into the office of State Insurance Commissioner a true consumer advocate. This is a relatively low-profile race, so please help to spread the word that Ben Allen is our candidate for this office.
Jay Greenstein is the Operations Vice President of DFI-LA
Why Brian Goldsmith Is the Right Choice for Our Community
By Michelle Elmer
Senate District 24, covering Agoura, Malibu, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach and nearby communities, is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in California. On November 3, we choose who will speak for us in Sacramento. Brian Goldsmith has spent much of his career on the issues that matter most to us: fighting antisemitism and standing with Israel.
Long before October 7, Goldsmith was a senior adviser to DMFI PAC (Democratic Majority for Israel), helping it challenge antisemitic candidates in Democratic primaries. He says the group won more than 85% of its races during his tenure, including the primary defeats of antizionist Congressmembers Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, he helped organize a DMFI session urging the party to keep its strong pro-Israel platform.
His commitments are specific. Goldsmith opposes the BDS movement, which he calls inherently antisemitic. He says he would write legislation to root antisemitism out of California life, especially in schools from elementary grades through college, and he supports reforming ethnic studies curricula. He would back funding to secure institutions that have been targeted, and says localities that fail to protect Jewish communities should face accountability.
He also has relationships that can produce results. Goldsmith works regularly with leaders of the Jewish Federation and the Pacific Council on International Policy, as well as congregational clergy and lay leaders. Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles and the California Legislative Jewish Caucus have both backed him, and he says he wants to be a leading voice in that caucus, not just a member.
His commitment is personal as well. Goldsmith and his wife, Claire, have supported Jewish nonprofits, including Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Emergency Fund for Israel. He serves on the board of the Karsh Family Social Service Center and volunteers with Our Big Kitchen LA.
This November, let’s elect a senator who will make fighting hate a top priority. DFI-LA has endorsed Brian Goldsmith for State Senate.
Michelle Elmer is the Political Vice President of DFI-LA
Los Angeles Is Choosing More Than a Mayor: Jewish Angelenos Deserve Answers
By Mihran Kalaydjian
Los Angeles is not simply choosing its next mayor. It is deciding what kind of city it wants to be.
On November 3, Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman will face each other in a runoff at a consequential moment for Los Angeles. Homelessness, housing affordability, public safety, basic city services and preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games will confront whoever takes the oath of office.
For Jewish Angelenos, another question belongs prominently in that conversation: Will we feel safe, heard and respected in our own city?
Antisemitism cannot become another issue that City Hall acknowledges only after something happens. Jewish institutions, synagogues, schools and community organizations deserve leaders who understand that protecting religious communities is a fundamental responsibility of government.
Bass and Raman offer different approaches to governing. Bass is campaigning on ending street encampments, strengthening public safety and improving city services. She has made Inside Safe the centerpiece of her homelessness strategy and points to reductions in street homelessness as evidence of progress.
Raman argues that Los Angeles needs greater accountability for homelessness spending, including public performance data and consequences for ineffective contracts. She has proposed scaling back Inside Safe while expanding other housing and service strategies.
Those differences deserve scrutiny. So does Raman’s membership in Democratic Socialists of America and her complicated relationship with DSA-LA, including disagreements involving Israel and policing. DSA-LA, an avowedly anti-Israel organization, has endorsed Raman. Raman has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
But affiliations alone should not decide an election. Records, policies and answers should. How will each candidate confront antisemitism? How will Jewish institutions be protected? Where is the line between legitimate political protest and intimidation? What will each candidate do about homelessness, public safety and government accountability and how will Angelenos measure whether those policies actually work?
DFI-LA and Jewish voters should insist that both candidates answer those questions clearly.
Political support should never be automatic. Trust should be earned. Los Angeles needs a mayor capable of protecting its communities while governing a complicated city effectively.
Jewish Angelenos deserve to know exactly how each candidate intends to do both.
Mihran Kalaydjian is a member of the DFI-LA Executive Board
Editor's Note - DFI-LA has endorsed Karen Bass for reelection as Los Angeles Mayor
The 66th Assembly District Race is Critical for Our Community
By Jay Greenstein
The race for the State Assembly seat (66th) that covers most of the South Bay cities and the Palos Verdes peninsula is another race with an open primary with two Democrats facing off for the November election. We are featuring this race because DFI-LA sees a clear distinction between the candidates. We have endorsed Paul Seo who is currently a California Deputy Attorney General and he serves as the current Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes. Seo faces off against one of the few Democratic candidates that we oppose, Sara Deen. She serves on the Palos Verdes Unified board of education.
Seo grew up in the City of Torrance which is in the 66th District. He was raised by Korean immigrant parents who owned a small business. As an adult Paul went on to serve in the U.S. Army before law school. In his role with the Attorney General’s office he is involved in prosecuting cases of political corruption. Seo has cultivated ties with the Jewish community within the district and has pledged to actively lead in the fight against antisemitism. Our board was extremely impressed with his responses to our questionnaire.
On the flip side, Sara Deen has not only declined the opportunity to complete our questionnaire, but she has also refused to answer questions from the Jewish community in her district about basic community concerns, including fighting antisemitism. Deen refused to answer when questioned about AB 715, the bill passed a year ago to fight antisemitism in K-12 schools.
Deen has received substantial financial support from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and many of their backers have been involved in funding a substantial independent expenditure campaign. CAIR leaders framed “Zionist synagogues” and Hillel chapters as “enemies” of the Muslim community and celebrated the October 7 massacre as an act of “decolonization”.
Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles strongly encourages you to share this information with friends and family who may be voters in this district's pivotal State Assembly race.
Jay Greenstein is the Operations Vice President of DFI-LA
Marni von Wilpert for Congress in California’s 48th District
By Jay Greenstein
We want to feature a race outside of our club catchment area because of its importance for Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives. With the passage last year of Proposition 50, the redistricting measure, Democrats have the opportunity to turn several parts of the state from red to blue.
Marni is a former member of the Peace Corps and served as a staffer on Capitol Hill. She is running for Congress in the 48th district, which is split between San Diego County and Riverside County. In 2020 Marni von Wilpert turned a San Diego City Council seat from red to blue. She quickly built relationships and alliances with the San Diego Jewish community and helped in the fight against antisemitism.
Marni has received the endorsement of California Jewish Democrats. Her questionnaire responses on issues of concern to our community are impressive. This district isn’t by any means an easy Democratic Congressional district to win. Marni needs financial support to make sure that she can clearly communicate her message to potential voters. Please consider a contribution by going to https://www.marnivonwilpert.com. Marni von Wilpert will clearly be an important ally in the House if elected.
Jay Greenstein is the Operations Vice President of DFI-LA
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SACRAMENTO NEWS
The 2025-2026 legislative session ended on September 1. Jewish California (formerly the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California) sponsored six bills. All six passed in the Legislature and were signed into law by Governor Newsom:
AB 395. Requires state and local agencies to consider making efforts to avoid conducting meetings when the body knows, or has reason to know, that members of the public would be unable to participate due to the observance of a religious, cultural, or ancestral holiday, including, but not limited to: Eid al-Adha; Eid al-Fitr; Feast of the Nativity; Maha Shivaratri; The first and last two days of Pesach; Rosh Hashanah; Yom Kippur; Diwali; and Dussehra.
AB 1763. Makes student observance of a religious holiday or ceremony an excused absence without requiring written request by the student’s parent or the principal’s approval.
AB 1836. Establishes the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to improve the physical security of nonprofit organizations such as schools, clinics, community centers, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and similar locations, that are at a high risk of violent attacks or hate crimes.
AB 1853. Limits a candidate statement in a voter information guide to a recitation of the candidate’s own education, professional experience, public service, community involvement, and qualifications. The bill would prohibit a candidate statement from including content that is vulgar or profane, or that threatens or incites violence; false statements or misleading claims; or any other content that is unrelated to the candidate’s qualifications.
AB 2664. Makes it a crime to harass, obstruct, threaten, or intimidate a person within 100 feet of an entrance of a place of religious worship.
SB 1387. Defines ethnicity to include Jewish identity when a state agency collects demographic data, and for purposes of school anti-discrimination law.
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WHAT WE'RE READING & WATCHING
Collapse of the Blood Libels:
mrandrewfox.substack.com/p/collapse-of-the-blood-libels
When Genocide Loses Its Meaning:
skeptic.com/article/when-genocide-loses-its-meaning-law-war-gaza/
Never Means Never:
thedispatch.com/newsletter/wanderland/republican-party-donald-trump-2020-election-january-6/
Democratic Socialists of America: Who They Are and Their Stance on Israel:
ajc.org/news/democratic-socialists-of-america-who-they-are-and-their-stance-on-israel
Fascism: A Warning (2018) by Madeleine Albright
goodreads.com/en/book/show/35230469-fascism
...and finally... we are watching The Ask Project:
Ask… But the Answer Will Disappoint
By David Alpern
The Ask Project’s on-the-ground interviews in the West Bank expose a disturbing reality regarding public attitudes toward coexisting with the Jewish State of Israel.
Using a straightforward man-on-the-street format, project founder Corey Gil-Shuster approaches everyday Palestinians in markets and town squares to record candid conversations about the conflict's future. (EX: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQV36v27aa0)
The results are deeply revealing: many interviewees express entrenched hostility, explicitly rejecting a two-state solution and asserting that even if a Palestinian state were established, the conflict would continue until Israel is entirely dismantled. When asked where the Jewish population should go in such a scenario, responses range from stark indifference to suggestions that they leave the land altogether and head to Sinai or elsewhere.
These unfiltered encounters carry significant weight. They demonstrate that hostility toward Israel is not confined to fringe political actors or terror militias; it is embedded across broader segments of everyday society, actively shaping their political landscape. For those who advocate for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, these testimonies highlight the urgent necessity of countering anti-Israel incitement and upholding Jewish security.
The critical takeaway is clear: genuine, lasting progress toward peace requires foundational change within Palestinian society itself. Such a transformation cannot be externally imposed by Western powers or negotiated through alternative Israeli political coalitions. It demands visionary internal leadership committed to reshaping public rhetoric, education, and social attitudes. As the Ask Project vividly illustrates, that internal evolution remains a distant prospect, regardless of how urgently Western activists who love to embrace the vapid Free Palestine slogan might vocally be demanding immediate solutions.
David Alpern is a member of the DFI-LA Executive Board
