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Democrats clash over calls for Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire at California Senate debate
Candidates vying to be the next United States senator from California were divided over support for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war during a debate Monday.
Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter staked positions to the left of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Republican Steve Garvey, a former baseball player and political newcomer, with Schiff and Garvey refusing to call for a cease-fire during the FOX 11 debate.
Lee said the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has claimed thousands of lives, is “counterproductive to Israel’s security.”
“The only way Israel is going to be secure is through a permanent cease-fire. The only way that is going to happen is with a political and diplomatic solution,” Lee said.
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Rep. Katie Porter, left, and Rep. Adam Schiff, center, participate in a debate on stage with other democrats who are running to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein at Westing Bonaventure Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Israel went to war against Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 terror attack orchestrated by the Palestinian terrorist group, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed. The Hamas-led Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has claimed Israel has killed more than 25,000 people since the war started, although Hamas does not distinguish between civilian and military casualties, and its reported figures cannot be independently verified.
Referring to the Palestinian casualty count, Lee said Israel’s offensive has been “catastrophic” and said “it will never lead to peace for the Israelis nor the Palestinians.”
The topic of Israel highlighted strong differences between the four candidates. Schiff, who has led recent polls, would not call for a cease-fire. He reminded the audience that Hamas did not just murder Israelis but committed “rape and torture.”
“The magnitude of that horror is still shocking to me,” he said. “No country, after having been attacked by terrorists like Israel was on October 7, no country could refuse to defend itself. It has a duty to defend itself.”
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Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Adam Schiff participate in a debate on stage with other democrats who are running to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein at Westing Bonaventure Hotel on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After stating it is not “incompatible with human nature” to grieve for losses on both sides, Schiff said Hamas cannot remain in power in Gaza. “They are still holding over 100 hostages, including Americans. I don’t know how you can ask any nation to cease-fire when their people are being held by a terrorist organization,” he said.
In rebuttal, Lee warned that the Israel-Hamas conflict may “spiral out of control” into a larger regional conflict if there is not an immediate cease-fire.
“We have to make sure that our national security is also protected,” Lee said. “And in fact, as this war escalates, as Arab nations pull back, then what do we have? We do not have a path to Israel’s security, nor do we have a path to a Palestinian state.”
Porter, who has also called for a permanent cease-fire, said there are conditions that must be met for the war to end, including the release of all hostages.
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From left to right: Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Katie Porter, Republican Candidate Steve Garvey, and Rep. Adam Schiff. (Getty Images)
“The parties to this conflict are Israel and Hamas. Cease-fire is not a magic word, you can’t just say it and make it so,” Porter said. “We have to push as the United States, as a world leader, for us to get to a cease-fire and to avoid another forever-war.”
Garvey, the lone Republican on stage, said it was “naive” to think the United States government can force Israel into a cease-fire.
“If 9/11 became 9/12, and one of our allies came to us and said, ‘we want you to cease-fire,’ what would we have done? We would have looked at them like, thank you for being our ally, but we must control our destiny and our sovereignty,” Garvey said.
California has a blanket primary system where the top two vote-getters in March will advance to a runoff in November’s general election.
The four candidates are looking to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last year after serving in the Senate for three decades.
Voting in California’s primary closes on March 5, with voting centers opening for early in-person voting on Feb. 24. California residents can also vote by mail, with ballot drop-off locations opening on Feb. 6.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.
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One of San Francisco’s busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.
All eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 just before the Bay Bridge are closed as crews work around the clock to rehabilitate the roadway. The 55-hour shutdown, which began on Friday night, is scheduled to last until Monday morning in time for the commute.
The closure has forced drivers onto detour routes, leading to heavy congestion for those trying to reach the East Bay, including Oakland and Berkeley.
The impact is being felt beyond the roadways.
At MoMo’s, a restaurant across from Oracle Park, staff found business noticeably slower.
“A little bit more mellow than usual. We usually see a little bit more foot traffic, a little bit more people on Saturdays,” said Daniel Bermudez, executive chef at MoMo’s.
Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.
“The weather is beautiful today. It’s nice and sunny. So we have plenty of tables outside,” he said.
With the San Francisco Giants playing an away game, the restaurant had hoped fans would still gather to watch, but turnout during game time remained light.
“This is kind of like our off-season Saturday. A lot slower than our baseball weekend,” said Casandra Alarcon, general manager at MoMo’s.
Other small businesses in the Mission Bay and South of Market neighborhoods reported similar trends, saying most of their customers are regulars who live nearby rather than visitors.
“A little bit slower for sure. Before, we had tourists come and walk to the baseball park,” said Ajaree Safron, manager at Brickhouse Cafe & Bar.
Caltrans has shut down eastbound lanes between 17th and 4th streets to repave the 71-year-old roadway. The goal is to extend the life of the Bayshore Freeway by another decade.
City and transportation officials said the timing of the closure was intentional, noting fewer major events scheduled in San Francisco this weekend, aside from the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Westbound lanes remain open, and officials said traffic heading into San Francisco from the East Bay has not been significantly affected.
“Getting into the city, it wasn’t too bad. Regular [traffic], what we expect on a Saturday morning,” said visitor Andrea Inouye.
While the closure has posed challenges for businesses, some workers said they are taking it in stride.
“Hopefully, it’s not for too long and we get past it, and get back to our normal routine,” Bermudez said.
Despite early concerns about widespread gridlock, transportation officials said the region has avoided the worst-case scenario. Traffic remains heavy in areas near detours, but the anticipated “carmageddon” has not materialized, in part because many drivers chose to avoid the area or take public transit.
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Thanks to Carrie Brown for the westward view of our Saturday night sunset. The high today hit 68 at the airport – eight degrees above normal – but nowhere near the record for this date, which was 89 degrees back in 2016. The forecast suggests two more days of partly sunny, almost-70-degree weather, before the chance of rain returns.
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