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DFI-LA Newsletter 2026 06.pdf
Democrats for Israel Update
The official newsletter of Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles
Vol. 1 No May/June 2026
With this issue, Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles begins publication of this bi-monthly newsletter. It will contain important news about the club, and also will contain articles that do NOT express the position of DFI – LA, but rather express the opinions of the respective authors. – Editor Paul Kujawsky, Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles Secretary.
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President’s Report: Working on meeting the goals we set last October
▶ By DFI-LA President Gregg Solkovits
When the newly-elected Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles Executive Board had its retreat last October, we set a number of goals for the organization. We said we wanted to have more educational programming, and to date DFI – LA has offered two educational events during our quarterly General Membership Meetings, the most recent being on April 26 when we had a panel discussion, “Is Antizionism the New Antisemitism?” We are aiming to have our next educational event and General Membership meeting be an in-person meeting. We will send you information via our e-mail and our social media:
- threads.com/@democratsforisraellosangeles
- twitter.com/DemsForIsraelLA
- instagram.com/democratsforisraellosangeles
- facebook.com/DemocratsForIsraelLosAngeles
- DFI – LA website: dfi-la.org
Another goal of the E-Board was to reach out to some of the local colleges and universities and connect with their Jewish Democrats and/or Hillel organizations to invite some of their members to get active in DFI – LA. That initiative is in process, and I am very hopeful that it will bring fresh ideas and energy to our club.
Yet another goal was to build our membership. As I write this, DFI – LA has kicked off a membership drive we call “180 by July 4”, with a simple goal – add 180 new members by July 4. For us to meet our goal, we need YOUR help. Please ask two or three friends of yours to join us as we continue our fight to push back on antisemitism within the Democratic Party, continue to support Israel, and work to build coalitions within the Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s various clubs to work towards those aims. Just ask your friends and colleagues to go to our website, www.dfi-la.org, navigate to the Join Us button, and sign up.
Among our other goals, we seek to get more of our members involved in our club. If you want to help plan educational events, or if you want to help put together social activities, or want to help us lobby elected officials, send me an e-mail at gsolk@aol.com. We would welcome YOUR participation!
DFI – LA Membership Drive “180 by July 4” Underway
Democrats for Israel – Los Angeles has kicked off its Spring Membership Drive with a goal of adding 180 new members by this July 4.
“We face many fights in the coming months, and the more members we have, the bigger our voice with the Democratic Party and in the Los Angeles region,” said DFI – LA Vice President for Operations and the chair of the club’s Membership Committee. “If every one of our members would reach out to just three friends and get them to join with us, we would have an impressive pool of activists to work for the candidates we know support Israel and the Jewish Community, and we would be better able to lobby for legislation that is good for our community and our allies.”
DFI – LA members and supporters are urged to tell their friends to go to the DFI- LA website at dfi-la.org, and use the Join Now button to become a member of DFI – LA.
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A Perspective on the Gubernatorial Election
▶ By Jay Greenstein
I am still not ready to make some key decisions on voting, especially for Governor. The thoughts I’m sharing are personal and are not intended to be representative of Democrats for Israel -- LA or California Jewish Democrats, DFI – LA’s state affiliate.
In this time of rising antisemitism, I had hoped that Democratic candidates would do more to court our vote. Mahan, Steyer, Villaraigosa, Swalwell and Republican Hilton did turn out for the Jewish community debate on February 26. Becerra and Porter chose not to participate. Until this past week, Katie Porter and former candidate Betty Yee were the only candidates who completed the questionnaire from the California Jewish Democrats that makes endorsements for statewide races. Mahan has now submitted his questionnaire and our state affiliate gave a SUPPORT rating to his candidacy. You can access California Jewish Democrats endorsements through our website: https://www.dfi-la.org/
Other board members and I have concerns about two candidates in particular:
Katie Porter: We have concerns about her character that go beyond some of her negative press coverage. We have heard stories about how she has been abusive to her staff and pushed aside other candidates who have earned Democratic Party support.
Tom Steyer: Recently Steyer negatively equated AIPAC with “dark money contributions.” Also, he outright refused to complete the DFI questionnaire. I am very concerned that Steyer has spent MILLIONS in an effort to “buy” the election while also spending MILLIONS (over $200 million in ads in total at press time) more on attack ads against Xavier Becerra which are misleading or include false allegations.
Less Concerned:
Xavier Becerra: I know anecdotally, Becerra had been generally supportive of Israel during his years in Congress and had strong ties with some Jewish community leaders. Now, it is important to hear his current positions on fighting antisemitism. However, it has recently been brought to my attention that Becerra has made a comment in a recent debate that equates Israel’s actions in Gaza to genocide. Unfortunately, in courting the vote from the left in this state it has become more beneficial to candidates to make such statements. I remain hopeful that Xavier Becerra will be an ally to our community in fighting antisemitism as he has more experience in working collaboratively than Steyer and Porter.
Two Republicans possibly winning the top two primary positions:
I remain concerned about the possibility of two Republicans emerging from the primary. I urge you to pay attention to the polls before making a decision. We need to set aside feelings for candidates who are polling below the teens who may have a history of supporting our community. That loyalty is admirable, but it could undermine chances of Democratic candidates trending closer to the two leading Republicans. On May 5th, the California Democratic Party released their latest tracking poll which is the following: Hilton 18%, Becerra 18%, Bianco 14%, Steyer 12%, Porter 8%, Mahan 7%, Villaraigosa 2% and Thurmond 1%. This poll indicates that we still face the danger of Republicans, Hilton and Bianco, emerging as the top two.
I remain distressed that none of the current leading Democratic candidates have made a substantial effort to court Jewish voters. My hope is we can better engage on our issues with the leading Democratic candidate if they emerge in the November runoff election. These issues are important to consider as you decide how to vote.
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DFI – LA announces its 2026 Primary Recommendations
▶ By DFI-LA Political Program Vice President Michelle Elmer
Democrats for Israel Los Angeles (DFI-LA) has issued its recommendations for the June 2026 primary election, identifying candidates across federal, state, and local races who have demonstrated strong support for Israel and a commitment to fighting antisemitism.
The following candidates received DFI-LA’s highest rating — Strong Support — meaning they completed the organization’s detailed questionnaire and earned the full backing of the Executive Board (you will see ratings range from STRONG SUPPORT to SUPPORT to NEUTRAL to OPPOSE on the DFI – LA website).
U.S. Congress DFI-LA gave Strong Support to a number of LA-area incumbents:
- Luz Rivas (CD-29)
- Laura Friedman (CD-30)
- Gil Cisneros (CD-31)
- Brad Sherman (CD-32)
- Jimmy Gomez (CD-34)
- Norma Torres (CD-35)
- Ted Lieu (CD-36)
- Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CD-37)
- Hilda Solis (CD-38)
- Hector De La Torre and Linda Sanchez (CD-41)
- Robert Garcia (CD-42)
- Nanette Barragan (CD-44)
California State Legislature - In the State Assembly, Strong Support recommendations went to:
- Juan Carrillo (AD-39)
- Pilar Schiavo (AD-40)
- John Harabedian (AD-41)
- Deborah Klein-Lopez (AD-42)
- Celeste Rodriguez (AD-43)
- Nick Schultz (AD-44)
- Jesse Gabriel (AD-46)
- Blanca Rubio (AD-48)
- Mike Fong (AD-49)
- Rick Zbur (AD-51)
- Michelle Rodriguez (AD-53)
- Mark Gonzalez (AD-54)
- Isaac Bryan (AD-55)
- Lisa Calderon (AD-56)
- Tina McKinnor (AD-61)
- Blanca Pacheco (AD-64)
- Scott Houston (AD-66)
- Josh Lowenthal (AD-69)
State Senate Strong Support was awarded to:
- Caroline Menjivar (SD-20)
- Susan Rubio (SD-22)
- Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (SD-28)
- Bob Archuleta (SD-30)
- Lena Gonzalez (SD-33)
City and County of Los Angeles At the city level, Strong Support recommendations include:
- Hydee Feldstein-Soto for Los Angeles City Attorney
- Barri Worth Girvan (Council District 3)
- Katy Young Yaroslavsky (Council District 5)
- Traci Park (Council District 11)
- Tim McOsker (Council District 15).
At the Los Angeles County level,
- Lindsey Horvath (County Supervisor, 3rd District)
- Jeff Prang (County Assessor)
- Robert Luna (County Sheriff)
In the Los Angeles Unified School District races, DFI-LA also gave Strong Support to:
- Nick Melvoin (District 4)
- Kelly Gonez (District 6)
For California State Board of Equalization DFI-LA also gave Strong Support to:
- Mike Gipson (District 3 – essentially Los Angeles County)
For the full list — including Support, Neutral, and Oppose ratings — visit dfi-la.org/endorse.
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Volunteers needed to help reelect DFI – LA co-founder Congressmember Brad Sherman
▶ By DFI-LA Secretary Paul Kujawsky
Democrats for Israel co-founder Congressmember Brad Sherman represents much of the western San Fernando Valley, as well as areas in West Los Angeles including Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Bel Air. He is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. Sherman is the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Israel Allies Caucus; he is simply one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress. Democrats for Israel, Los Angeles strongly supports Sherman’s reelection.
The Sherman campaign invites and urges you to help before the end of voting on June 2:
- Phone Banking Monday–Thursday, 3:00–7:00 PM — Join us at our campaign office (5000 Van Nuys Blvd, Suite 410). Volunteers are encouraged to show up for as many hours as possible. Food will be provided. Phone banking could also be conducted remotely.
- Walking Precincts Saturdays & Sundays 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM — We run door-to-door canvassing in Simi Valley and on the West Side.
Contact Ethan Walsh at ethan@bradsherman.com or (818) 277-2505.
DFI – LA will send information regarding volunteering for other DFI – LA supported candidates later this week.
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The Disconnect: Why Democratic Socialists of America—Los Angeles Misreads the Middle East
▶ By DFI-LA Executive Board member David Alpern
In the comfort of Los Angeles, local DSA-affiliated figures like Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez often view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a lens of Western "social justice” that feels increasingly detached from reality. Their visceral opposition to Israel, often manifesting in one-sided ceasefire resolutions and calls to end U.S. aid, stems from a misplaced application of LA-style civic idealism to the world’s most dangerous neighborhood.
In Los Angeles, we operate on a foundation of institutional trust and fixed legal norms. However, the Middle East operates on a “bazaar culture,” where everything is a negotiation, strength is the only reliable currency, and survival depends on navigating a web of shifting alliances. While Hernandez and Soto-Martínez focus on “abolitionist” frameworks and labor activism at home, they fail to see that in a region where a single misstep can lead to national catastrophe, the uncompromising, moralistic demands of local activists are not just naive; they are supremely dangerous when applied to the jihadist realities of the Middle East.
To truly comprehend the region, these DSA-affiliated politicos must realize that the rules of the road in Southern California do not apply in a neighborhood where regional players prioritize hard power over abstract ideals. Understanding our regional allies across the Levant requires acknowledging that they exist in a world where security is never guaranteed and peace is traded in the bazaar of reality; not the seminars of Western rooted activists.
David Alpern is a member of the Executive Board, and webmaster for Democrats for Israel Los Angeles.
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DFI – LA website: dfi-la.org
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Our mailing address is: PO Box 7577, Van Nuys, CA 91409
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