News

DFI-LA president Gregg Solkovits, andn board member Miran Kalaydjian were invited to Southern California Armenian Democrats (SCAD) 2022 Candidate Meet and Greet event on Friday, May 13, 2022.

With Araz Parseghian - SCAD President

With Armond Aghakhanian - Burbank Unified School District Board of Education President

With Bob Blumenfield

With Christy Smith - Congress District 27 candidate

With Daniel Hertzberg

With Elizabeth and Manuel Magpapian - SCAD Legal Advisor

With Kevin James - candidate for city attorney

With Paul Koretz

DFI-Los Angeles' 2022 Primary Candidates Endorsements

Bolded (with large photo) is 'Strong Support' | Rest of listed names are 'Support', unless noted as Neutral

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ASSEMBLY

AD 39
Andrea Rosenthal - Support
Steve Fox - Support

AD 40
Annie Cho - Neutral
Pilar Schiavo - Support

AD 41
Chris Holden - Support          

AD 42
Jacqui Irwin - Support

AD 43
Luz Rivas - Support

AD 44
Laura Friedman - Strong Support

AD 46
Jesse Gabriel (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

AD 48
Blanca Rubio (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

AD 51
Rick Chavez Zbur - Strong Support

Louis Abramson - Support

AD 52
Wendy Carillo - Support

AD 53
Freddie Rodriguez - Support

AD 54
Miguel Santiago - Support

AD 55
Isaac Bryan - Support

AD 56
Lisa Calderon - Support

AD 57
Reggie Jones-Sawyer - Support

AD 61
Autumn Burke - Support

AD 62
Anthony Rendon - Strong Support

AD 64
Ana Valencia - Support
Blanca Pacheco - Support

AD 65
Mike Gipson - Support

AD 66
Al Muratsuchi - Support

AD 69
Josh Lowenthal - Strong Support

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STATE SENATE

SD 22
Susan Rubio (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

SD 24
Ben Allen (CA Legislative Jewish Caucus member) - Strong Support

SD 26
Maria Elena Duranzo - Support

SD 20
Caroline Menijvar - Support
Daniel Hertzberg - Support

SD 32
Bob Archuleta - Support

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Seat 1 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Hilda Solis - Support

Seat 3 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Bob Hertzberg - Strong Support

Henry Stern - Strong Support

Lindsay Horvath - Strong Support

Seat 5 - Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Janice Hahn - Support

Los Angeles County Accessor
Jeffery Prang - Support

Los Angeles County Sheriff
Britta Steinbrenner - Support
Cecil Rhambo - Support
Eli Vera - Support
Eric Strong - Neutral
Robert Luna - Support

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CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Mayor
Karen Bass - strong support

Kevin De Leon - strong support

Mike Feuer - strong support (UPDATE: He withdrew 5/17/2022 and endorsed Karen Bass)

Craig Geiwe - neutral

Los Angeles City Attorney
Hydee Feinstein Soto - Support
Kevin James - Support
Teddy Kapur - Support

Los Angeles City Controller
Paul Koretz - Strong Support

Rob Wilcox - Neutral

Seat 1  Los Angeles City Council
Gil Cedillo

Seat 3  Los Angeles City Council
Bob Blumenfield - Strong Support

Seat 5  Los Angeles City Council Sam Yebri - Strong Support

Jimmy Biblarz - Support
Katy Young Yaroslavsky - Support
Scott Epstein - Support

Seat 7  Los Angeles City Council
Monica Rodriguez - Support

Seat 11  Los Angeles City Council
Mike Newhouse - Support

Jim Murez - Support

Seat 13  Los Angeles City Council
Mitch O’Farrell - Strong Support

Hugo Soto-Martinez - Oppose

Seat 15  Los Angeles City Council
Tim McOsker - Support

Los Angeles Unified School Board, Seat 4
Nick Melvoin - Strong Support

Los Angeles Unified School Board, Seat 6
Kelly Gonez - Support

Los Angeles Community College District, Seat 4
Sara Hernandez - Support

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CITY OF LONG BEACH

Seat 3  Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees
Sunny Zia - Strong Support

Mayor of Long Beach
Suzie Price - Support

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CONGRESSIONAL HOUSE DISTRICTS

CA-26 Congress
Julia Brownley - Support

CA-27 Congress
Christy Smith - Support
Quaye Quartey - Neutral

CA-28 Congress
Judy Chu - Support

CA-29 Congress
Tony Cardenas - Strong Support

CA-30 Congress
Adam Schiff - Strong Support

CA-31 Congress
Grace Napolitano - Support

CA-32 Congress
Brad Sherman - Strong Support

CA-34 Congress
Jimmy Gomez - Support

CA-35 Congress
Norma Torres - Support              

CA-36 Congress
Ted Lieu - Strong Support

CA-37 Congress
Sydney Kamlager - Strong Support

Jan Perry - Strong Support

Sandra Mendoza - Support

CA-38 Congress
Linda Sanchez - Support

CA-42 Congress
Robert Garcia - Support

CA-43 Congress
Maxine Waters - Support

CA-44 Congress
Nanette Barragan - Strong Support

Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Rachel Bloom and several other Jewish celebs discuss antisemitism on YouTube show

In “Recipe for Change: Standing Up to Antisemitism,” a YouTube special released on Thursday 4/14/2022 a cohort of Jewish celebrities: Idina Menzel, Ilana Glazer, Rachel Bloom, Skylar Astin, Michael Twitty, Hannah Einbinder, Alex Edelman, Tommy Dorfman, Josh Peck, Hari Nef, and Michael Zegen discuss the current global rise of anti-Semitism.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj-pWmsOIyQ

Article - https://www.jta.org/2022/04/14/culture/idina-menzel-ilana-glazer-rachel-bloom-and-several-other-jewish-celebs-discuss-antisemitism-on-youtube-show

Tel Hashomer, also known as the Sheba Medical Center, in suburban Tel Aviv, has set up a field hospital in Ukraine. Israel's field hospital is the first foreign medical team to arrive and begin caring for hundreds of refugees each day. Medical volunteers are caring daily for long queues of people, many of them elderly.

The Los Angeles Jewish Journal has published a first person account - https://jewishjournal.com/my-turn/346691/what-israel-is-doing-in-ukraine

More pictures of Israel's field hospital in Ukraine were published in the Jerusalem Post - https://www.jpost.com/international/article-702315

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Israel for its ongoing efforts to help facilitate an end to Russia’s destructive war with Ukraine as he and his Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Blinken told Lapid that any initiative to try to halt the conflict would be welcome as long as it is consistent with US, NATO, and European principles and that Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.

Read more about Israel's efforts for a diplomatic resolution: https://www.timesofisrael.com/blinken-tells-lapid-us-very-much-appreciates-israeli-mediation-in-ukraine

Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz reported Israel has offered four times over the past year to provide emergency assistance to Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Gantz explained the Lebanese army is suffering from a shortage of basic supplies and has lost more than 5,000 soldiers that abandoned it recently.

Lebanon is dealing with an economic collapse, suffering and unemployment on a massive level, yet when Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Najib Mikati was sworn into office in September 2021, he said his government “will deal with anyone for the sake of Lebanon’s interest, with the exception of Israel, of course.”

Fortunately, this has not dissuaded Minister Gantz from repeatedly extending a neighborly arm of friendship and resource driven support, in hope that eventually the offer will be accepted and the rebuilding of the Good Fence relationship between the two countries can recommence.

Read more about Israel's repeated offers of support for Lebanon - https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-israel-offered-aid-to-lebanese-military-four-times-in-past-year/

Lebanon is on the verge of collapse. With enlightened and innovative leadership by the US, Israel is offering itself as an ingredient to a solution, and this may even help reduce the destructive influence of Hezbollah and Iran in the region, while helping to begin the rehabilitation of a nation that is suffering so much.
More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-ink-secret-deal-to-supply-natural-gas-to-lebanon-via-jordan and https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220116-us-reportedly-allows-israel-to-supply-gas-to-lebanon-via-syria-and-jordan

Israeli foreign minister, Yair Lapid, offers goodwill gesture to his Egyptian counterpart after meeting with President Sissi, bringing stone tablets, papyrus, idols and other stolen artifacts back to Cairo.
More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-lapid-visits-israel-returns-to-egypt-95-stolen-relics-smuggled-into-israel

Israel has become the world leader in desalination and having solved its own water crisis is now using that developed technology to aid its neighbors and solve the water crisis in the parched desert region that is the Middle East.

More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-signs-deal-doubling-water-supply-to-parched-jordan