Nithya Raman walked straight into one of the most explosive issues of her mayoral campaign Tuesday night.
The Los Angeles City Councilwoman defended her decision to call Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” at the 2026 Jewish Los Angeles Mayoral Forum, prompting an uneasy reaction from parts of the roughly 1,000-person crowd at the Skirball Cultural Center.
“The word genocide is a deeply painful word. I understand its historical context and the weight of that historical context for the world, not just this for the room but for the world,” Raman said.
Raman said she used the term after seeing reports and images she found deeply disturbing.
“I used it because other experts have used it to describe what’s happening and I used it because I felt compelled to speak out about issues that we saw, the images that are coming, the targeting of hospitals, the deaths of children.”
The issue carried particular weight at a forum aimed squarely at Jewish voters, especially as Los Angeles continues to deal with rising anti-Jewish hate. LAPD recorded 46 anti-Jewish hate crimes from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2026, putting the city on a pace roughly 12% above the previous year.
Raman sought to draw a line between her views on Gaza and antisemitism.
“I know that antisemitism is rising across the entire country and in this city,” she said. “I believe it is coming from every side of the political spectrum, right and left.”
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“I never want progressive politics to be conflated with antisemitism.”
She also pointed to her response following the Oct. 7 attacks.
“I was the first in City Hall to condemn the attacks. I condemn them without reservation and I will speak up.”
The forum put Raman and Mayor Karen Bass under a bright political spotlight with just weeks before the Nov. 3 runoff. They appeared separately in conversations with Spectrum News anchor Alex Cohen, answering the same core questions and taking questions from selected audience members.
The gathering was hosted by Jewish Federation Los Angeles, the Skirball Cultural Center, ADL Los Angeles, Jewish Family Service LA and AJC Los Angeles, along with 45 community partners. Rabbi Noah Farkas and Skirball CEO Jessie Kornberg opened the event.
The stakes for Bass are steep. She won 34% in the June 2 primary, compared with 29% for Raman, becoming the first sitting LA mayor since 2005 forced into a runoff.
A Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll showed Raman ahead 39% to 28%, with 33% undecided. Raman led younger voters, while Bass had stronger support among voters 65 and older.
The same poll showed Bass with a 28% favorable rating and 63% unfavorable. Raman registered 40% favorable and 39% unfavorable.
Both campaigns have raised about $2.5 million. Outside groups spent millions more, including the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which spent money against Raman.
Raman also pointed to the appetite for change behind the race, saying voters who backed Spencer Pratt reflected “the desire for change in Los Angeles.”
