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

Sara Jacobs

Democrat · U.S. House, California District 51
?Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes

Jacobs co-led the Block the Bombs Act to require congressional approval before offensive weapons transfers to Israel. In 2024 she moved to block a $1.2 billion tank-munitions sale to Israel, and in August 2026 voted against $3.3 billion more for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

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Deep Dive

Jacobs co-led the June 2025 introduction of H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, which would require congressional approval before transferring specified offensive weapons, including bunker-buster bombs, JDAMs, and artillery shells, to Israel. Her statement: "Self-defense cannot be justification for killing tens of thousands of people... The United States shouldn't facilitate this any longer by transferring offensive weapons to Israel," while adding "I will always support the Iron Dome and other defensive systems."

In November 2024 she and Sen. Chris Van Hollen introduced joint resolutions of disapproval to block a proposed $1.2 billion sale of tank munitions to Israel. In April 2024 she joined 39 House Democrats urging President Biden to halt offensive weapons transfers after the strike that killed aid workers in Gaza. On August 4, 2026 she voted to pull $3.3 billion in additional funding for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, the only San Diego Democrat to do so, and joined a 27-member statement: "We do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon."

She called for a ceasefire in November 2023, condemning October 7 as "gruesome, horrifying, and inexcusable." In November 2024 she joined nearly 90 Democrats urging sanctions on ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. Explaining her vote against the Antisemitism Awareness Act in May 2024, she said she does not "believe that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitism."

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes · Cosponsors the Block the Bombs Act

Committees

House Committee on Armed Services · House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✓ Voted No
voted against sending it
H.R. 8034 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-04-20 · Passed 366-58
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 8369 - Israel Security Assistance Support Act2024-05-16 · Passed 224-187
✓ Voted No
voted against sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✓ Voted No
voted against sending it
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
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to restrict weapons transfers
H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.
Not sponsoringhas not backed this support bill
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 some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

Targeted with $425K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (2020); no direct 2026 support from them

2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Money spent against them
Independent expenditures opposing this candidate: advertising and other spending made to defeat them, without the candidate's involvement or consent. DMFI reported 4 independent expenditures opposing this candidate, 2020-10-15 to 2020-10-28, totalling $425K. This counts only the five lobbying groups we track, so it is a floor on what was spent against this candidate, not a total. Each expenditure is counted because the committee itself named this candidate as the target on its FEC filing. These lobbying groups often spend along party lines, or to protect an incumbent they back, so this is not by itself a reading of the candidate's position.
✓ Endorsed by A New Policy PAC
A New Policy PACA group backing congressional candidates who want a new U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine grounded in U.S. and international law, including conditions on military aid.These endorsements come from groups that push to restrict or end U.S. weapons transfers to the government of Israel. Endorsements from these groups are shown for information; they do not decide the mark.

In their words

“The United States shouldn't facilitate this any longer by transferring offensive weapons to Israel that will be used to prolong and compound this mass suffering and death.”
Source ↗, 2025-06-05
“While I will always support the Iron Dome and other defensive systems, I believe we can't in good conscience send offensive weapons systems that have caused significant civilian casualties and violated U.S. and international law.”
Source ↗, 2025-06-05
Endorsements

A New Policy PAC (2026 endorsement)

Research log

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

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • 2024-04-05 [Current position]: Joined 39 House Democrats asking President Biden to halt transfers of U.S. offensive weapons to Israel after the Israeli airstrike that killed humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. Wikipedia (secondary source; the letter itself was not among sources found).
  • November 2024 [Current position; month-only inline date; source published 2026-07-22]: With Sen. Van Hollen, introduced joint resolutions of disapproval to block a proposed $1.2 billion U.S. sale of tank munitions to Israel. Noon Post.
  • 2025-06-05 [Current position; verified]: Co-led the Block the Bombs Act (H.R. 3565) with Reps. Ramirez, Jayapal, and Pocan, requiring congressional approval by joint resolution before transfers of offensive weapons (bunker-busters, JDAMs, artillery shells) to Israel; Iron Dome and defensive systems excluded. Quote: "Self-defense cannot be justification for killing tens of thousands of people, imposing a humanitarian blockade, or forcing the displacement of a population... The United States shouldn't facilitate this any longer by transferring offensive weapons to Israel that will be used to prolong and compound this mass suffering and death. While I will always support the Iron Dome and other defensive systems, I believe we can't in good conscience send offensive weapons systems that have caused significant civilian casualties and violated U.S. and international law." Press release. Related: JFREJ/Common Dreams (2026-02-10).
  • 2026-04-23 [Current position; EXCLUDED from card; source weak and contradicts verified record]: An initial search says that on Zeteo she argued the U.S. should not subsidize Israel's Iron Dome, preferring domestic spending. Only source is a YouTube short we could not confirm names her, and the claim contradicts her verified June 2025 statement "I will always support the Iron Dome." Needs human verification.
  • 2026-08-04 [Current position; verified]: Voted to pull $3.3 billion in additional funding for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon (only San Diego Democrat to do so) and joined a 27-member joint statement: "We do not support providing an additional $3.3 billion of American taxpayer dollars to be used for Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon." Voice of San Diego; context Arab Center DC weekly (2026-08-03).

Characterization of the conflict

  • May 2023 [Earlier record; month-only inline date; supporting source is a J Street dossier published 2023-01-13 that does not name her, weak]: After a congressional delegation trip, said she raised concerns directly with Netanyahu on excessive military force, Palestinian home demolitions, settlement expansion, and lack of two-state commitment. J Street dossier.
  • 2023-11-18 [Months after October 7, 2023]: Called for an immediate bilateral ceasefire, release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access to Gaza; condemned October 7 as "gruesome, horrifying, and inexcusable"; opposed expanding the ground campaign into southern Gaza. Press release.
  • 2024-10-07 [Current position]: One-year anniversary statement: grief for the 1,200 killed and hostages; called the Gaza campaign a devastating war that leveled cities and displaced nearly two million Palestinians; urged use of U.S. leverage to de-escalate. Press release.
  • 2025-01-15 [Current position]: Called the ceasefire and hostage deal "bittersweet" after 15 months of horror. Press release.
  • 2025-10-14 [Current position]: Co-sponsored the resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, the 6-year-old Palestinian-American murdered in 2023; condemned anti-Palestinian discrimination, Islamophobia, and dehumanizing rhetoric. Watson Coleman release, Ramirez release.

Rhetoric and lobbying

  • 2024-11-14 [Current position]: Joined nearly 90 congressional Democrats urging Biden to sanction Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir over incitement of settler violence. JTA.
  • 2026-04-22 [Current position; video sources unconfirmed]: In a Mehdi Hasan interview, criticized Trump and certain pro-Israel lobbying organizations for "weaponizing Jewish pain and the very real rise in antisemitism to accomplish their political goals"; urged distinguishing criticism of Israeli policy from antisemitism. YouTube short, YouTube (we could not confirm that either names her).
  • 2026-08-03 [Current position]: Co-led a letter of 115 House Democrats pressing Netanyahu to remove settler-erected barbed wire blocking Palestinian children from school in Umm al-Kheir; condemned settler intimidation. Arab Center DC.

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

  • 2024-05-01 [Current position]: Statement "I've experienced antisemitism all my life" explaining her vote against the Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 6090): "anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitism"; conflating nonviolent protest with hate crimes violates the First Amendment and distracts from genuine threats. Press release.
  • 2025-12-18 [Current position]: Led a bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitism with safeguards against AI-generated antisemitic content. Press release.

Note on the earlier record

  • Six recorded key votes and the absence of any recorded funding support are badges; not restated here.

Also in this race

  1. – Ricardo Cabrera (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.