LOS ANGELES (Press Release) — StandWithUs, the Israeli American Council, and Agudath Israel strongly reject City Councilmember Nithya Raman’s repeated false accusations against Israel in her campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles.
Additionally, we are deeply concerned about her lack of moral clarity regarding the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign and Hasan Piker’s hateful record.
During the 2026 Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum, Raman repeated the big “genocide” lie against Israel. Extremists like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have framed use of the term “genocide” as a test of a politician’s morals, and some candidates have fallen in line. However, real moral leadership means telling hard truths and rejecting destructive lies.
Councilmember Raman stated that she does not have expertise on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but is echoing what others (including a tiny minority of Israelis) have said. However, widely reported accusations from sources such as Amnesty International, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, a UN Commission of Inquiry, B’Tselem, and Omer Bartov have been debunked by scholars of genocide and international law. Moreover, key aspects of the false “genocide” narrative continue to fall apart as new information emerges from Gaza.
It is true that the October 7th War has been horrific for Israelis and devastating for Palestinians caught between the IDF and Hamas in Gaza. However, the “genocide” accusation is categorically false. Israel’s objective is to destroy Hamas, not the Palestinian people. It has sent millions of messages warning Palestinian civilians to get out of harm’s way, helped deliver over 4 million tons of aid since October 7, 2023, agreed to a peace plan that calls for Gaza to be rebuilt for the benefit of its people, and launched dozens of criminal investigations into the actions of its own soldiers.
In contrast, Hamas seeks to destroy Israel as a whole – clear genocidal intent that was evident during the massacre on October 7, 2023. No army has had to fight a genocidal enemy under the conditions Israel confronted in Gaza, where Hamas ruthlessly militarized civilian areas and treated their own people as “necessary sacrifices. ”
None of this makes the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza any less horrific, nor does it suggest that Israel is immune to criticism. All people of good will want the current ceasefire to lead to peace, and some may be repeating the big “genocide” lie because they think it will help. But a lie repeated many times is still a lie. Tragically for both Israelis and Palestinians, Hamas has used this lie to stay in power and keep fighting a forever war to destroy Israel. At the same time, hate groups have used the lie to fuel discrimination and violence targeting Jews around the world.
Leaders who lack knowledge about issues of this magnitude have a responsibility to fully educate themselves. Failing to do so and then falsely accusing the world’s only Jewish state of the worst crime that exists in international law is unacceptable, especially at a time of rising antisemitism.
During the Mayoral Forum, Councilmember Raman also called BDS, “a legitimate form of peaceful protest” and said she supports the right to protest. While BDS may involve nonviolent tactics, its purpose is anything but peaceful. BDS is a global hate movement that is deeply harmful to Israelis, Palestinians, and Angelenos. It seeks to shut down Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and ultimately eliminate Israel. Much of the hostility directed at Jewish college students and faculty, including the illegal and antisemitic encampment at UCLA, is fueled by BDS. More recently, pro-BDS groups in Los Angeles have begun holding organizing meetings at a bookstore that glorifies leaders of Hamas and Iran’s brutal regime, along with other violent extremists. Leaders have a responsibility to reject and condemn BDS, instead of legitimizing extremism and hate.
This lack of moral clarity is part of a pattern. Councilmember Raman said she appeared on Hasan Piker’s platform to connect with voters who are hard to reach. However, that does not explain her failure to challenge his extensive record of promoting antisemitism and violent extremism. Piker is an “influencer” who has declared that America deserved 9/ 11, named Hezbollah’s flag as his favorite flag, claimed Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel, and compared a Houthi terrorist to Anne Frank. Instead of countering these hateful ideas in any way, Raman said nothing.
We appreciate Councilmember Raman’s stated commitment to fighting antisemitism and that BDS is not part of her campaign platform. However, leadership requires standing up for what is right, even when it is not easy or comfortable to do so. We urge Councilmember Raman to address these concerns directly, and we welcome further engagement with her and all other political leaders who care about these issues.
Preceding provided by StandWithUs.