Former San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos Put On Leave Following alleged Anti-Semitic Tweets

Former San Francisco Supervisor and current executive director of the Council of Community Housing Organizations John Avalos was put on leave on Thursday following alleged anti-Semitic tweets involving Jewish lawmakers.

Avalos, who was a Supervisor between 2008 and 2016 and is currently running for reelection for the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, began the incident earlier this week when he sent a response to a video posted on Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) X account. In the video, Wiener can be seen getting harassed, with one person yelling to him “Your whole bloodline’s cowards” over his support for Israel.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Sacramento have called the comments towards Wiener abhorrent and Anti-Semitic.

“Wiener is a Jewish Democrat who supports Israel in a city where pro-Palestinian protests happen often,” said Dana, a Capitol staffer, to the Globe on Thursday. “He was going to get flack. But Senators and Assemblymembers here have been quick to go on his side defending him, both Republicans and Democrats. People may be at odds with him on most of the things he tries to pass in the Senate, but we have Republicans defending him on this and calling those people out. It is just not tolerated by anyone.”

However, Avalos then sent a message in response to the video where he said “Never again means never again for anyone. Never again also means ppl of conscience have a responsibility to prevent the past fear & indifference to Jewish suffering from ever happening again to anyone anywhere. Ppl have the right to call out elected leaders’ complicity w/genocide.”

Never again means never again for anyone. Never again also means ppl of conscience have a responsibility to prevent the past fear & indifference to Jewish suffering from ever happening again to anyone anywhere. Ppl have the right to call out elected leaders’ complicity w/genocide https://t.co/AtMqdh8Mep

— John Avalos (@AvalosSF) February 12, 2024

Lawmakers and officials from both sides of the aisle immediately called the twee out for Avalos justifying the hatred going against Senator Wiener. Some, such as Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, said the tweet was offensive. Wiener himself said of the comment that it “Amounted to pretty bizarre and unhinged logic. Avalos’s argument is that because Jews have been persecuted and killed, it’s therefore appropriate behavior to physically harass and intimidate a Jewish elected official and his staff.”

Following a day of backlash, Avalos quickly backtracked with another message on X, replying, “Just so it’s clear: While I believe people have the right to protest and confront elected officials who are complicit w/genocide. I deplore antisemitism. The mash up video that JCRC has put together to distract from the genocide contains glaring antisemitic remarks that I condemn.”

Just so it’s clear: While I believe people have the right to protest and confront elected officials who are complicit w/genocide. I deplore antisemitism. The mash up video that JCRC has put together to distract from the genocide contains glaring antisemitic remarks that I condemn

— John Avalos (@AvalosSF) February 14, 2024

However, the response tweet came too late. On Thursday, Avalos was put on leave as the executive director of the Council of Community Housing Organizations, a major San Francisco housing organization. While there was no reason given and no one involved said why, the fact that it came so soon after the tweets made many link the two together.

“Avalos sent out a really bad tweet,” added former lobbyist an current political analyst Harry Schultz to the Globe on Thursday. “He didn’t offer enough context and it came off as being anti-Jewish. And the number of people calling him an antisemite was a lot. He had to send a tweet saying that he wasn’t one. And now, he’s on leave from his job most likely due to that.

“And it comes at a bad time for him too. He is making some political moves right now, like getting reelected to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. Before this, he was pretty much guaranteed. And now, he gave his opponents a really big thing to press him on. Being even accused of being antisemitic is pretty much a death knell.

“He needs to give a real apology, he needs to talk with Wiener, and he needs to really clarify what he meant. Avalos is still not doing that right now. And he may keep his job, but election-wise, this tweet, this one tweet, has made him pretty toxic overnight.”