But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Jimmy Panetta
- Backed with $25K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
In August 2025 Panetta co-led a letter from veteran lawmakers urging Israel to "flood Gaza with humanitarian aid" to undermine Hamas's use of food scarcity, and backed Israel's right to defeat Hamas. In January 2025 he restated America's "ironclad and unbreakable commitment" to Israel's safety and security.
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You asked Jimmy Panetta where they stand.
Deep Dive
On August 15, 2025 Panetta co-led a letter with fellow veteran lawmakers (Moulton, Houlahan, Ryan, Deluzio, Vindman) to Israeli Ambassador Michael Leiter, urging Israel to "flood Gaza with humanitarian aid" and writing that "Israel has a responsibility and moral obligation to actively prevent harm to civilians, particularly children," while stating "We remain steadfast in our support of Israel's right to defend itself and want Israel to defeat Hamas." On U.S. money, an initial search reports an April 2024 statement urging House leadership to bring the foreign aid supplemental to the floor so the U.S. could "ensure a secure future for Israel and our democratic allies around the globe"; that item's only source is an advocacy tracking site, so it is rendered here attributively and marked pending verification.
On the conflict: his January 15, 2025 ceasefire statement cited "America's ironclad and unbreakable commitment to the safety and security of Israel" and "support for peaceful Palestinians who desire self-determination." In April 2025 he called the Middle East a "tinder box of tensions" and said restrictions on Gaza had worsened civilian suffering and malnutrition. In July 2025 he called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "dire and devastating," said Israel carries responsibility to alleviate civilian suffering, and noted Hamas's rejection of ceasefire proposals. In October 2025 he welcomed the hostages' release and said long-term peace requires Hamas to disarm.
In the weeks after October 7, 2023, returning from a congressional delegation to Israel, he called the Hamas attack a "bloodthirsty assault" and said Israel had "the ultimate right to defend itself" and "destroy Hamas," telling Jewish Insider the U.S. "can't just show sympathy, we actually have to show support." A February 2025 KQED report reported that he received more than $250,000 from a pro-Israel lobby; contributions received are campaign-money facts, not a weapons or aid position.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
• Vote record imported from official House Clerk roll calls for H.R. 6126, H.R. 8034, and H.R. 8369. Other position fields remain under investigation.
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.
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Voted to send weapons or funding in exactly half of their recorded tracked votes. The tie is broken by money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track and an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$25K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI PAC (2026 endorsement)
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Identity: Jimmy Panetta (D), U.S. Representative CA-19, incumbent, 2026 candidate; son of former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Campaign site, Wikipedia (Leon Panetta), JINSA event page (2025-06-26).
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- April 2024 [Current position; month-only inline date; SOURCE IS AN ADVOCACY TRACKER, pending verification]: Statement urging House leadership to bring the foreign aid supplemental package to the floor: the U.S. must act to "ensure a secure future for Israel and our democratic allies around the globe." boughtbyzionism.org profile (undated advocacy page; not used as a card fact).
- 2025-08-15 [Current position; verified]: Co-led a veterans' letter to Israeli Ambassador Michael Leiter urging Israel to "flood Gaza with humanitarian aid" to undermine Hamas's weaponization of food scarcity; "Israel has a responsibility and moral obligation to actively prevent harm to civilians, particularly children"; "We remain steadfast in our support of Israel's right to defend itself and want Israel to defeat Hamas." Co-leads: Moulton, Houlahan, Ryan, Deluzio, Vindman. House release.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2023-10-11 [Months after October 7, 2023]: After a congressional delegation to Israel: called the Hamas attack a "bloodthirsty assault"; said Israel had "the ultimate right to defend itself" and "destroy Hamas"; noted assurances Israel would abide by international laws of war. Jewish Insider (2023-10-11).
- 2023-11-02 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Statement supporting efforts to "significantly degrade and, ultimately, destroy the Hamas terrorist organization"; Israel must minimize civilian casualties and allow essential humanitarian aid into Gaza. House release.
- 2025-01-15 [Current position; verified]: Ceasefire statement: "America's ironclad and unbreakable commitment to the safety and security of Israel"; "support for peaceful Palestinians who desire self-determination." House release.
- 2025-04-29 [Current position]: Called the Middle East a "tinder box of tensions"; Israel has the right and obligation to defeat Hamas; restrictions on Gaza exacerbated civilian suffering and malnutrition. House release.
- 2025-07-28 [Current position]: Called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "dire and devastating"; Israel carries responsibility to alleviate civilian suffering; Hamas continued rejecting ceasefire proposals. House release.
- 2025-10-13 [Current position]: Celebrated the release of living Israeli hostages; long-term peace requires Hamas to disarm, degrade politically, and dismantle its tunnels. House release.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2023-07-17 [Earlier record]: Co-signed a joint House Democrats' statement affirming Israel as a "historic, democratic ally" and criticizing comments characterizing Israel as a racist state. Schneider release. Multi-signer statement on another member's site; signer-list attribution.
- 2023-09-13 [Earlier record]: Attended an AJC Abraham Accords Caucus roundtable promoting regional integration and Israel-Arab diplomatic ties. AJC.
- 2023-10-11 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Told Jewish Insider the U.S. "can't just show sympathy, we actually have to show support" through legislative action, pushing back against early calls for restraint. Jewish Insider.
- 2025-02-25 [Current position; contributions context]: KQED reported he received more than $250,000 from a pro-Israel lobby. KQED. Campaign-money reporting, not a weapons or aid position; an initial search extracted no claims from this source beyond identity.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2023-03-03 [Earlier record]: Joined the kickoff of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism; said antisemitism has no place in society. Panetta Facebook photo post (opened).
- 2023-10-25 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Signed the bipartisan task-force letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas and FBI Director Wray seeking prioritized security resources and grants for Jewish institutions. Lankford release, Cassidy release. Multi-signer letter; signer-list attribution.
- 2025-12-14 [Current position; SOURCES DID NOT OPEN, not card-usable]: Reported condemnation of the Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack, with the phrase "antisemitism rears its ugly head in levels not seen since the Holocaust." Sources are two Facebook posts that would not open (one on Rep. Schneider's page, one on Panetta's; unlinked per source rule). Attribution unconfirmed.
- 2026-03-12 [Current position; SOURCES DID NOT OPEN and MISATTRIBUTION RISK, excluded]: Statement after a Michigan synagogue attack: "In the face of rising antisemitism, we must stand strong with our Jewish neighbors and communities. Nobody should live in fear because of their faith." The only sources are Facebook posts by Jake Tapper and Georgia AG Chris Carr (neither would open, and neither names Panetta). The words may belong to another speaker; excluded pending human verification.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Peter Verbica (Republican)
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