Steve Hilton
Hilton rejects calling Israel's actions in Gaza genocide, describing them as self-defense (JNS interview, May 18, 2026). At a February 26, 2026 forum he pledged state lawsuits against California cities that boycott Israel. He has not stated a position on U.S. weapons or money to Israel's government.
In a May 18, 2026 JNS interview, after a CalMatters candidate questionnaire asked whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Hilton rejected that characterization, described Israel's military operation as self-defense following the October 7, 2023 attacks, and called his Democratic rivals' answers shocking. In the same interview he accused the Democratic Party of ignoring antisemitism. These quotes are pending verification; the article body could not be retrieved.
At the Jewish California Governor Candidate Forum on February 26, 2026 at the Skirball Cultural Center, Hilton opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, supported expanding California's economic and technology partnerships with Israel, and pledged that his attorney general would sue California cities that boycott or divest from Israel under the state anti-boycott law. He also pledged security support for Jewish institutions; coverage here.
Earlier, on March 25, 2024, Hilton criticized President Biden's handling of the war on Fox News. He has commented on Israel's June 2025 strikes on Iran on Fox Business; that is outside this site's scope. He has not said what he would do about U.S. weapons or money to the government of Israel or U.S. aid to Palestinians; those decisions sit with Congress and the president, not a governor.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- No documented statements, positions, or proposals from Hilton on U.S. military aid or weapons transfers to Israel. [Absence claim, undated]
Characterization of the conflict
- 2024-03-25 [Current position]: On Fox News's America Reports, Hilton criticized President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, calling Biden a "machine politician" lacking firm principles toward Israel. Source: YouTube clip (video, unverified text).
- 2025-06-13 [Current position; EXCLUDED from card, out of scope (Israel-Iran, not U.S. weapons/money or conflict characterization)]: On Fox Business's Varney and Co., Hilton discussed Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, expressed optimism about Israel's actions, and commended Trump's Iran policy. Sources: Fox Business video, YouTube.
- 2026-05-18 [Current position]: In a JNS interview, Hilton rejected characterizing Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, reportedly calling a yes answer offensive and preposterous and describing the operation as a legitimate act of self-defense responding to one of the most brutal atrocities in the last 100 years. Rendered attributively: pending verification (article body not retrievable; page metadata confirms he called rivals' genocide answers "shocking").
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2026-02-26 [Current position]: At the Jewish California Governor Candidate Forum, Skirball Cultural Center, Hilton opposed the BDS movement and supported expanding California-Israel economic and technology partnerships. Sources: Jewish Federation, Jewish Post and News. Existing record: he pledged his attorney general would sue cities that boycott or divest from Israel under AB 2844 and opposed the repeal initiative.
- 2026-05-18 [Current position]: In the same JNS interview, Hilton accused the Democratic Party of ignoring "Jew-hatred" and permitting an anti-Israel "cancer within their party" (phrases appear in the article headline; body pending verification).
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2026-02-26 [Current position]: At the forum, Hilton pledged security for Jewish institutions and anti-hate initiatives. Sources as above.
- 2026-02-27 [Current position; source did not open]: Hilton posted a video saying he visited UCLA to "stand against antisemitism." Only source is a Facebook post (would not open); no usable link.
- 2026-05-18 [Current position]: Hilton criticized anti-Israel rhetoric on campuses and at city councils and said state leadership failed to protect Jewish residents. JNS.
Also in this race: Xavier Becerra (Democrat) · All California candidates.
See the full record →But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.