But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

Laura Friedman

Democrat · U.S. House, California District 30
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 1 of 2 tracked votes

Friedman signed a May 2025 statement praising resumed humanitarian aid to Gaza and urging a plan that ends Hamas rule. She co-sponsored the West Bank Violence Prevention Act in November 2025. In March 2024 she said Israel has a right to go to war with Hamas.

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Deep Dive

On U.S. money to the government of Israel, Jewish Insider reported in July 2026 that Friedman voted for the Massie amendment to the 2027 State Department appropriations bill, which would have eliminated the $3.3 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel; the article counts her among lawmakers who have generally been reliable supporters of Israel. No statement from Friedman explaining that vote was found. A blocked gvwire article (would not open, unlinked) frames the same vote as AIPAC-backed Democrats being punished by AIPAC.

In a March 19, 2024 Jewish Insider profile she said Israel has "a right to go to war" with Hamas, a group "hell-bent" on its destruction, and warned of "a kind of creeping antisemitism that can blur the lines between very legitimate political criticism" of Israel. In April 2025 she joined a Jeffries-led congressional delegation to Israel and Jordan on a durable Gaza ceasefire, hostage returns, and humanitarian aid. On May 28, 2025 she signed a joint House Democratic statement praising the resumption of aid into Gaza, calling on Hamas to release all hostages, and urging a post-war plan that ends Hamas rule; her office reposted coverage of it. On November 10, 2025 she co-sponsored the West Bank Violence Prevention Act on extremist settler violence, and in an April 2026 CNN discussion she spoke for sustained ceasefires, protecting non-combatants, and a negotiated two-state framework.

In November 2025 she co-founded the Alliance Against Antisemitism PAC, saying critique of Israeli government policy is distinct from antisemitism but that denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination crosses into it. As safety context, she leads the Congressional Jewish Caucus on antisemitism matters: letters to the Defense Department (June and July 2025), a Coast Guard hate-symbols letter (November 2025), an AI-antisemitism resolution (December 2025), a Nonprofit Security Grant letter to DHS (January 2026), and an AJC community forum appearance (January 2026). An October 13, 2025 statement welcoming the peace and hostage deal is reported only from another official's Facebook post that would not open, and it is held out of the card summary.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 1 of 2 tracked votes

Floor votes
H.Amdt. 55 to H.R. 4016 - strike $500M for Israeli Cooperative Programs2025-07-18 · Failed 6-422 (only 6 voted to cut)
✗ Voted No
voted against limiting it
H.R. 8595 - Massie amendment (Part A No. 8) to bar FY27 funds for Israel and cut $3.3B in Foreign Military Financing2026-07-15 · Failed 104-314
✓ Voted Yes
voted to limit or block it
Bill sponsorship
H.R. 3565 - Block the Bombs ActWould bar transfer of 2,000-lb/BLU-109 bunker busters, JDAMs, 120mm tank rounds, and 155mm artillery shells to Israel. Does not affect Iron
Not sponsoringhas not backed this restriction bill
H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
Notable actions

• 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.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

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. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 1 of 2 tracked votes.)

The money

$11K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $10,000 · DMFI: $1,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$10,000The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.DMFI PAC$1,000Democratic Majority for Israel's PAC; calls itself the home for pro-Israel Democrats and backs Democratic candidates who support a strong U.S. alliance with the government of Israel.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

Searched 2026-08-10 for Friedman: AIPAC/J Street, antisemitism, conflict stance, military aid). Identity: Wikipedia, CA-30 representative since November 2024, former Assemblymember and Glendale mayor. One source found is a podcast with Lara Friedman of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, a different person; excluded. Recorded key votes (NDAA FY26 missile-defense amendment: No; H.R. 8595: Yes) and the AIPAC funding total are badges, not restated.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • 2026-07 [Current position; month-only inline date anchored to source published 2026-07-15]: Voted FOR the Massie amendment to the 2027 State Department appropriations bill, which would have eliminated the $3.3 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel; named among "generally... reliable supporters of Israel" who backed it. Jewish Insider (verified against the page; the paraphrase in the search notes 'supported efforts to condition and limit offensive weapons transfers... while continuing to support Israeli defense capabilities' is a paraphrase rather than the source’s wording, and is not used).
  • 2026-07 [Current position; source did not open; EXCLUDED from card]: gvwire piece titled "These AIPAC-backed Democrats voted to nix Israel aid, AIPAC punished them." Unlinked.
  • 2024-03-19 [Current position]: Profile reports support for Israel's self-defense; the claim in the search notes that she said U.S. military assistance must uphold international law and civilian protections was NOT found as a direct quote on the page; rendered attributively, on this page only. Jewish Insider profile; supporting: Jewish Virtual Library, a YouTube video (not confirmed as naming her).

Characterization of the conflict

  • 2024-03-19 [Current position; verified]: Israel has "a right to go to war" with Hamas, "hell-bent" on its destruction; the humanitarian toll on Palestinian civilians in Gaza requires urgent mitigation, humanitarian access, and long-term diplomacy (latter clause per the search notes). Jewish Insider profile.
  • 2025-04-22 [Current position]: Joined the Jeffries congressional delegation to the UK, Denmark, Israel and Jordan; advocacy for a durable Gaza ceasefire, immediate return of hostages, increased humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Jeffries release.
  • 2025-05-28 [Current position; multi-signer statement]: Joint House Democratic statement praising resumption of aid into Gaza, demanding Hamas release all hostages, urging a post-war security and political plan ending Hamas rule. Goldman release; her office's in-the-news repost supports her participation.
  • 2025-10-13 [Current position; source did not open and belongs to another account (Gov. Wes Moore's Facebook post, which would not open); EXCLUDED from card]: Reported statement welcoming a peace and hostage deal: ceasefire must hold, aid must flow freely into Gaza, rebuild infrastructure and governance. Unlinked; needs a primary source.
  • 2025-11-10 [Current position]: Co-sponsored the West Bank Violence Prevention Act on extremist settler violence and conditions for a two-state solution. Nadler release.
  • 2026-04-11 [Current position]: CNN segment: sustained regional ceasefires, protecting non-combatants, negotiated two-state framework. CNN transcript.

Rhetoric and lobbying

  • 2024-03-19 [Current position]: Argued for less polarizing Middle East discourse in the Democratic Party, supporting Israel's security and Palestinian rights together. Jewish Insider profile.
  • 2025-11-21 [Current position]: Co-founded and co-chairs the Alliance Against Antisemitism PAC; said critique of Israeli policy is distinct from antisemitism, but denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination crosses into antisemitism. Jewish Insider.

Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)

  • 2023-01-06 [Earlier record]: California Legislative Jewish Caucus leadership; state Nonprofit Security Grant funding; authored DEI-curriculum legislation covering antisemitism and Jewish history. Caucus release.
  • 2024-03-19 [Current position; verified fragment]: Warned of "a kind of creeping antisemitism that can blur the lines between very legitimate political criticism." Jewish Insider profile.
  • 2025-03-24 [Current position]: Criticized executive actions targeting student protesters; sympathy for Palestinian civilians is not grounds for deportation; genuine campus antisemitism must be combated. Jewish Insider.
  • 2025-06-24 [Current position]: Led Congressional Jewish Caucus letter to Defense Secretary Hegseth on a Pentagon spokesperson's antisemitic conspiracy statements. Release.
  • 2025-07-18 [Current position]: Led Jewish House members pressing DoD on a defense technology contract after AI-generated antisemitic content reports. Release.
  • 2025-11-21 [Current position]: Authored Jewish Caucus letter to DHS Secretary Noem on Coast Guard hate-symbol policy changes. Release.
  • 2025-12-18 [Current position]: Co-introduced bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitism, addressing antisemitic content on AI platforms. Jacobs release.
  • 2026-01-08 [Current position]: Joined colleagues urging DHS to remove new conditions on Nonprofit Security Grants. In-the-news repost.
  • 2026-01-28 [Current position]: Spoke at the first AJC Congressional Community Forum on protecting community spaces and houses of worship. Release.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Scott Alan Meyers (Republican)

All California candidates.

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 Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.