But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Gil Cisneros
- Backed with $11K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC
- Sits on House Armed Services
After an August 2025 congressional oversight trip to Israel, Cisneros said aid deliveries in Gaza are falling unacceptably short of humanitarian need. In January 2025 he called the ceasefire and hostage deal a positive step toward Israel's security and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
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Deep Dive
On August 22, 2025, after a trip to Israel with Democratic colleagues, Cisneros said in a statement: "As it stands, the aid deliveries in Gaza are falling unacceptably short of the humanitarian need." He said Israel, Palestinian leadership, and international partners share a duty to get aid delivered swiftly. Answering criticism of the trip, he said, "I did not go on this trip to kiss the ring of Prime Minister Netanyahu or undermine the suffering happening in both Israel and Palestine," and that he went to conduct oversight of aid distribution, dispel misinformation, and ask hard questions of both governments. The found material describes the trip as AIPAC-sponsored; his release does not name a sponsor, and the page making that claim (CAIR-CA) would not open.
On January 15, 2025 he welcomed the 42-day ceasefire and hostage-release deal: "This is a positive step forward towards assuring Israel's security, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and building towards lasting peace in the region. However, we cannot rest until every hostage comes home." In the August 2025 statement he wrote that all human life is precious and that no civilian, Israeli or Palestinian, should be subject to fear, starvation, and violence, and said, "In Congress, I have advocated for a two-state solution that would give both Israelis and Palestinians a safe and permanent home." His issues page updated September 8, 2025 reaffirms support for a permanent ceasefire and continued distribution of food and humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
As safety context: in 2019 he met with American Jewish Committee Los Angeles representatives on combating antisemitism, in June 2025 he signed a bipartisan letter to social media executives on antisemitic incitement and violent content, and in March 2026 he joined the 148-member letter seeking $1 billion for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes
House Committee on Armed Services
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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes.)
The money
$11K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (2026 endorsement)
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 Cisneros: antisemitism, Israel/Gaza aid, ceasefire). Recorded key votes (NDAA FY26 missile-defense amendment: No; H.R. 8595: No) and the AIPAC funding total are badges, not restated.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- No direct statement on U.S. weapons or money to the government of Israel was found; his in-scope record runs through ceasefire and humanitarian-aid statements below. An initial search’s framing that he positions around 'maintaining security for Israel while prioritizing oversight and humanitarian assistance' is a synthesis in the search notes of the two releases.
- 2025-08-22 [Current position; verified]: "As it stands, the aid deliveries in Gaza are falling unacceptably short of the humanitarian need." Israel, Palestinian leadership, and international partners hold a duty to ensure swift aid delivery. Trip statement.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2025-01-15 [Current position; verified]: On the 42-day ceasefire and hostage-release deal: "This is a positive step forward towards assuring Israel's security, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and building towards lasting peace in the region. However, we cannot rest until every hostage comes home." Release; also carried on his J Street PAC candidate page.
- 2025-08-22 [Current position; verified; quote contains em dashes, rendered attributively in card text]: Wrote that all human life is precious and that no civilian, Israeli or Palestinian, should be subject to fear, starvation, and violence; both peoples want the war to end; "In Congress, I have advocated for a two-state solution that would give both Israelis and Palestinians a safe and permanent home." Trip statement.
- 2025-09-08 [Current position; issues page, date per source published]: Reaffirmed support for a permanent ceasefire and continued distribution of food and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Issues page.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2025-08 [Current position; month-only inline date; sponsor claim's only source did not open]: Joined a Democratic delegation visit to Israel described as AIPAC-sponsored by a CAIR-CA action page (would not open, unlinked; CAIR-CA condemned CA House Democrats for the trip). His own release confirms the trip but not the sponsor. Trip statement.
- 2025-08-22 [Current position; verified]: "I did not go on this trip to kiss the ring of Prime Minister Netanyahu or undermine the suffering happening in both Israel and Palestine"; went for oversight of aid distribution, to dispel misinformation, and to ask hard questions of both governments. Trip statement.
- Undated [endorsement page, published 2025-02-25]: J Street PAC maintains a candidate page for Cisneros. J Street PAC.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2019-03-18 [Earlier record]: Met AJC Los Angeles representatives and local clergy in Fullerton on combating bigotry, hate, and antisemitism. AJC.
- 2025-06-06 [Current position; multi-signer letter]: Signed the Bell-Bacon bipartisan letter to social media executives on antisemitic incitement, violent extremism, and pro-terror content. Bell release; coverage repost on friedman.house.gov.
- 2026-03-20 [Current position; multi-signer letter]: Joined the Amo-McCaul letter from nearly 150 members requesting $1 billion for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Amo release.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Eric Ching (Republican)
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