But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Monica Alponte
Libertarian · U.S. House, Arizona District 1
✓Opposes
How this mark works
We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: Her own campaign site names Israeli aid in rejecting it and calls for ending all foreign military aid, and the same page's pledge says her campaign recognizes the genocide in Gaza and stands for an immediate arms embargo, with nothing pointing the other way. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
Monica Alponte, a retired business owner and writer from Scottsdale and a former co-host of a political TV talk show, is the Libertarian nominee in Arizona's 1st District. She advanced from the Libertarian primary on July 21, 2026 and faces Amish Shah, the Democrat, and Jay Feely, the Republican, on November 3. She has never held office, so there are no votes on this record.
Her campaign site answers the question in its own words. Under a heading about building a coalition for peace, it says Libertarians reject Israeli aid in particular and all foreign aid in general: "Libertarians are in opposition to all foreign aid. We not only "Reject AIPAC" specifically Israeli aid, but we call for ending all foreign military and economic aid to every country without exception." A pledge shown on the same page, under the heading Reject AIPAC Pledge, reads: "I pledge to refuse campaign contributions from AIPAC, its affiliated PACs, or bundled lobbyist checks. Our campaign recognizes the genocide in Gaza, stands firmly for an immediate arms embargo, and demands the strict enforcement of FARA and the overturning of Citizens United." The pledge does not name the government the embargo would apply to. FARA is the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the federal law requiring people who lobby for foreign governments to register.
She uses the word genocide about Gaza twice on that page. Besides the pledge, she writes that she will join any coalition for peace and non-interventionism "across the board—not just aggression and genocide in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, but likewise in Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, et al." Her campaign statement on the site adds: "No matter who you vote for, you get John McCain—or Bibi Netanyahu."
The rest of what she has published on the subject is about money in politics. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, is a lobbying organization that works for close ties between the United States and Israel, and she pledges to take no money from it or from foreign lobbies, in her Ballotpedia answers as on her site. A refusal of a lobby's money is not by itself a position on what the United States sends; hers is stated above. The Anti-Zionist America PAC lists her as "AZAPAC Approved" on its candidates page, and her site shows the same image beside the committee's own description of itself as "focused on ending U.S. military and financial aid to foreign entities and opposing Zionist politicians who serve Israel over the United States". Her answers to other guides, and her campaign newsletters, are on her research page.
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Every page named below was opened and read on 2026-10-06 unless the entry says otherwise. Her campaign site was read in full: its home page, its newsletters page and its gallery page, which are all the pages it has, and the two campaign newsletters linked from it. Two of the home page's statements are images rather than text, and those images were opened and read. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Undated pages are recorded on the date we read them. Alponte has never held office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is hers, and no funding from the committees this site tracks is recorded on this record. Nothing located on this subject falls in the reaction window.
U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, in the section headed "BUILDING A COALITION FOR PEACE", under "COMMON GROUND BEYOND TIRED PARTISAN BARRIERS": "Libertarians are in opposition to all foreign aid. We not only "Reject AIPAC" specifically Israeli aid, but we call for ending all foreign military and economic aid to every country without exception." The sentence carries a footnote to the Libertarian Party platform, sections 1.9, 3.3 and 3.6.
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, under the heading "REJECT AIPAC PLEDGE", shows a single image whose text reads: "I pledge to refuse campaign contributions from AIPAC, its affiliated PACs, or bundled lobbyist checks. Our campaign recognizes the genocide in Gaza, stands firmly for an immediate arms embargo, and demands the strict enforcement of FARA and the overturning of Citizens United." The image file is https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/Libertarian%20Pledge%20against%20AIPAC%20PRO%20FARA%20ANTI.png . The pledge does not say which government the embargo would apply to; the clause before it is about Gaza.
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, in her candidate statement: "No more sending American taxpayer dollars into endless foreign wars. It's time to put the needs of Americans first." and "The trillions stolen from taxpayers for foreign aid and never-ending wars—without the consent of the people—wastes trillions of dollars that could create wealth and prosperity here at home." Neither names a country.
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, under "FOREIGN POLICY", quotes the Libertarian Party platform, section 3.3: "We will end the current US government policies of foreign intervention including military and economic aid; tariffs, economic sanctions, and regime change." These are the party's words, which she quotes and attributes; they name no country.
[Position, 2026-04-16] Her campaign site carries a "PEACE Pledge" signed "~Monica Alponte, April 16, 2026": "I will never vote to authorize or fund military action without a formal Declaration of War from Congress". It is about U.S. military action, not aid to another government.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located, at any date, that names Palestinians, UNRWA or humanitarian aid to Gaza. Her call to end "all foreign military and economic aid to every country without exception" would by its terms include it, but she does not say so.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, read 2026-10-06] The pledge image above: "Our campaign recognizes the genocide in Gaza".
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, in the coalition section: "Today that partisan blockage ends! I will stand with any coalition dedicated to PEACE and non-interventionism across the board—not just aggression and genocide in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, but likewise in Ukraine, Russia, Venezuela, et al." followed by "All aggression!" and "We seek Common Ground with all who value human life over political expansion."
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site, in her candidate statement: "They claim to be against perpetual war, but in practice, each has its favored military conflicts." followed by "No matter who you vote for, you get John McCain—or Bibi Netanyahu." The sentence is in quotation marks on her site and is not attributed to anyone else.
[Undated, read 2026-10-06] Her iVoterGuide profile lists "Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?" with "Did not answer". Every one of the profile's 32 questions reads "Did not answer", so the blank is a fact about the guide's coverage of her, not a choice about this question.
Israel-related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, read 2026-10-06] Her campaign site lists "Reject AIPAC" and "End Foreign Lobbying" among its fourteen "ISSUES NEAR & DEAR", and her Libertarian Party candidate page repeats the list. In her candidate statement: "I will not take money from AIPAC nor foreign lobbies; I will show up and vote solely in the interests of Americans."
[Position, 2026; read 2026-10-06] Her Ballotpedia Candidate Connection answers, first key message, headed "End the "Uniparty" War Machine and Put Americans First": "I will not take money from foreign lobbies like AIPAC; I will show up and vote solely in the interests of Americans. It is time to stop sending taxpayer trillions abroad without the consent of the people and focus on prosperity here at home." Ballotpedia says she completed the survey in 2026 and gives no day.
[Position, read 2026-10-06] The Anti-Zionist America PAC's candidates page shows a flyer reading "AZAPAC APPROVED", "MONICA ALPONTE FOR CONGRESS 2026", "DISTRICT 1 ARIZONA", linked to her campaign site. Her campaign site shows the same flyer (image file https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/Libertarian%20image%20endorsed%20by%20AZAPAC.jpg) and, beside it, the text "Anti-Zionist PAC (AZAPAC) is a political action committee focused on ending U.S. military and financial aid to foreign entities and opposing Zionist politicians who serve Israel over the United States, draining American resources, undermining U.S. sovereignty and running counter to the interests of the American people." The committee's name in that text is a link to a YouTube video. Her iVoterGuide profile lists "Anti-Zionist America PAC AZAPAC" as her one endorsement, and Wikipedia's page on the 2026 Arizona House elections lists the committee as endorsing her, citing the committee's candidates page.
[Position, 2026-06-24] Equality Arizona's candidate spotlight for the district, in her own answers: "If privileged to serve, I will take that fire to Congress—fighting for individual rights, reining in out-of-control government, and refusing money from AIPAC and foreign lobbies." and, under "PEACE & Non-Intervention": "The trillions stolen from taxpayers for foreign aid and never-ending wars—without the consent of the people—wastes trillions of dollars."
[Position, 2026; read 2026-10-06] Her July-August 2026 campaign newsletter, in a table headed "Political Platforms at a Glance", describes the Libertarian platform as "Against foreign wars, foreign aid, Israel/AIPAC", the Republican as funding "endless WAR in Middle East, foreign aid, Israel/AIPAC" and the Democratic as supporting "aid to Israel/AIPAC". Her September-October 2026 newsletter regrets that she did not qualify for the Clean Elections debate, "Especially now, when there is so much discontent about Israel, the wars and the economy."
Safety and antisemitism
Nothing located, at any date.
The race
[Read 2026-10-06] Ballotpedia says "Amish Shah (D), Jay Feely (R), and Monica Alponte (L) are running in the general election for Arizona's 1st Congressional District on November 3, 2026" and that she advanced from the Libertarian primary on July 21, 2026. It records $8,941 raised and $8,307 spent by her campaign. Her own site gives her campaign's base as Scottsdale.
Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them
Her campaign accounts on X (https://x.com/MonicaAlponteAZ), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monicaalponteaz) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@MonicaAlponte) were not read.
Local Candidates, which our research cited for the words "including military and economic aid": https://www.localcandidates.org/politicians/monica-alponte/positions/7adc1c0c-fb12-49d1-a403-1f002ec66eb2 . The same words appear on her campaign site as part of the Libertarian Party platform she quotes, not as her own.
Her September-October 2026 newsletter mentions an interview with the Washington Post; it was not found or read.
Not on the card, and why
The Libertarian Party platform passage she quotes: the party's words, not hers; recorded above.
Her PEACE pledge and her statements on war powers and endless wars: about U.S. military action, not aid to another government; recorded above.
Her pledge to refuse AIPAC money, the AZAPAC listing and the newsletters' party comparison: about money in politics; in the deep dive and here, never as a position on what the United States sends.
The blank iVoterGuide profile: guide coverage, not a position.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
https://monicaalponteaz.com/; opened; 2026-10-06
https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/Libertarian%20Pledge%20against%20AIPAC%20PRO%20FARA%20ANTI.png; opened (image, read by eye); 2026-10-06
https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/Libertarian%20image%20endorsed%20by%20AZAPAC.jpg; opened (image, read by eye); 2026-10-06
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/downloads/b098d22d-ac36-45bc-99f4-bb0ead295c16/Libertarian%20Newsletter%20Setp-Oct%202026%20Vol%201%20No%20.pdf; opened (PDF, as text); 2026-10-06
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/c4b6c70d-6a72-498b-becd-73d25a08c2c0/downloads/a6c89056-62cf-4ab9-93a4-00bcce5c0d47/Libertarian%20Newsletter%20July-Aug%20%202026%20Vol%201%20No.pdf; opened (PDF, as text); 2026-10-06
https://www.localcandidates.org/politicians/monica-alponte/positions/7adc1c0c-fb12-49d1-a403-1f002ec66eb2; not opened (this site cannot be read); 2026-10-06
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.
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