Bill Keating

Keating co-led a June 2025 resolution urging aid into Gaza, calling the crisis “dire and devastating”. In July he co-introduced a bill to track whether U.S. weapons harm civilians and to make serious violators ineligible; it names no country. In August 2026 he called Israel a strategically important ally.

Keating has represented the 9th District, which runs from the South Shore through New Bedford to Cape Cod and the Islands, since 2011. He is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees. He won the September 1, 2026 Democratic primary and faces Republican R. Tyler MacAllister on November 3.

On aid reaching Palestinians he has been direct and repeated. On June 4, 2025 he was one of five members who introduced a resolution calling on the Trump administration to use every diplomatic tool to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and to bring the hostages home, and in that release he said: “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and devastating. The entire U.S. government must urgently use all diplomatic tools available to bring about the release of the hostages in Gaza, facilitate the delivery of food and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and work towards an end to the conflict in Gaza which moves us closer to a two-state solution.” On July 29, 2025 he wrote that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was unacceptable and that the government of Israel had to do more to let UN agencies deliver aid. Two weeks after that he said the planned occupation of Gaza City “will only endanger hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians who will again be displaced by this conflict, worsen the humanitarian situation, and further threaten the remaining hostages”. When the ceasefire and hostage agreement was announced on January 15, 2025 he called it a major turning point and said fifteen months of war had brought thousands of deaths and overwhelming destruction in Gaza.

On weapons, the nearest thing to a stated position is a bill. On July 18, 2025 he was one of four members of the Foreign Affairs Committee arms sales task force who introduced the Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act, which would set up a program to check whether American weapons are used to harm civilians or to break international humanitarian and human rights law. Just Security, a national security law publication, reported that the program would open a path to finding a country ineligible for U.S. weapons under the Arms Export Control Act. The bill applies to every recipient of American arms and singles out none of them, and he is not quoted in its announcement. Nothing located has him saying in his own words whether the weapons and money the United States sends the government of Israel should continue, be conditioned, or stop.

His own summary of his record sits on his official foreign affairs page, which says he “has been proud to strengthen protections of Israel” and points to an amendment he wrote on designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization. At a radio debate on August 24, 2026, The New Bedford Light reported that he described Israel as a strategically important ally in a region hostile to the United States, and that he pointed to the Gaza aid resolution he co-led; South Shore News reported the same exchange. On August 6, 2026 he was one of nine Massachusetts House members who signed a letter led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen urging the administration to end settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank and to restore sanctions on violent settlers. The signers wrote that the administration’s “deference to the Netanyahu government has contributed to a climate of impunity and unbridled violence towards civilian populations and religious minorities.” Those are the letter’s collective words, not his alone.

His statements from October 2023, his record on antisemitism going back to a 2020 subcommittee hearing he chaired, and what outside trackers say about him are on the research page.

Tracked votes: opposed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 4 of 6 recorded votes.

Research

Every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-07 unless the entry says otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. His recorded votes on the bills this site tracks are not described here; they are on the card’s record, filled from the House Clerk.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

• [Position, 2025-07-18] Rep. Madeleine Dean’s release announcing the Silver Shield Operational End Use Monitoring Act: “U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Bill Keating (MA-09) — members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Bipartisan Arms Sales Task Force — introduced legislation to improve end-use monitoring and prevent the use of U.S. weapons to commit war crimes or harm civilians.” The bill would create the Silver Shield program within a year of enactment to determine whether U.S. defense articles were used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, and would amend the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act so that such violations count as a breach of the written transfer agreement. Dean and Jacobs are quoted in the release; Keating is not. Endorsed by fifteen organizations including Amnesty International USA, Oxfam America and the Arms Control Association.
• [Position, 2025-07-29] Just Security (published 2025-07-29), on the same bill: “Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), and Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) have introduced a bill that would require the creation of a program to track when U.S. weapons are used to harm civilians or violate international humanitarian or human rights law. In the case of the most serious violations using U.S.-origin arms, the program would create a pathway to determine countries ineligible for U.S. weapons under the Arms Export Control Act.” The article’s framing is the use of U.S. weapons in Yemen and Gaza; the bill text names no country.
• [Position, 2026-07-15] The July 2026 House vote on the amendment to strike $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for the government of Israel is a recorded vote, and the card leaves votes to its record section. Two reports place him with the outcome: Boston.com (2026-07-16) reports that “More than half the House Democrats, including the entire Massachusetts delegation, voted Wednesday to strip $3.3 billion in U.S. aid from Israel,” and quotes six Massachusetts members, not him; Responsible Statecraft (2026-07-23) writes that Keating “was among the 19 AIPAC-supported Democrats later ‘punished’ by the lobby group as a result of their support for the amendment, according to the New York Times.” AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the largest pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States. No statement by Keating on the amendment was located: he does not appear in the Foundation for Middle East Peace’s compilation of members on the record about that vote, and his own press page carries none.
• [Position, read 2026-09-07] His official foreign affairs issues page: “Further, Bill has been proud to strengthen protections of Israel, including successfully authoring a bipartisan amendment in the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act to require designation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, and calling for the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.” The page is live and is dated to the day it was read; its own timestamp is 2023-07-27 and the work it describes runs from 2013 to 2015. Algemeiner (2026-09-02) reproduces the same sentence and attributes it to his campaign website; it is on the House site, not the campaign site.
• [Position, read 2026-09-07] His campaign site, keatingforcongress.com, carries nothing on Israel, Gaza, Palestinians, weapons or foreign aid. The home page and its endorsement sections were read in full and use none of those words.
• Nothing located on UNRWA.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

• [Position, 2025-06-04] “Keating, Jayapal, Raskin, Foushee, Balint Introduce Resolution Urging the Immediate Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza” (published 2025-06-04). The release: “U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Bill Keating (MA-09), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Becca Balint (VT-AL) are today introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.” His quotation in full: “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire and devastating. The entire U.S. government must urgently use all diplomatic tools available to bring about the release of the hostages in Gaza, facilitate the delivery of food and humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and work towards an end to the conflict in Gaza which moves us closer to a two-state solution. This important bicameral resolution sends a strong message that we believe the U.S. must immediately do more to end the suffering in Gaza.” Verified verbatim. The release carries no resolution number and links a draft text hosted on Rep. Jayapal’s site; the number H.Res. 473 could not be confirmed and is not used. Senator Peter Welch led the Senate companion. The release also states, in the office’s own voice, that “Israel began a blockade on aid into the Gaza Strip” more than two months earlier and that “at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and 120,000 have been injured.”
• [Position, 2025-07-29] His post on X, from the account @USRepKeating: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable. While Israel is now allowing increased delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, it must do more to enable UN organizations like the World Food Program and other humanitarian organizations to deliver the life-saving assistance”. The post is a long-form post and continues past that point; the text above is the whole of what could be read, and it ends mid-sentence for that reason. Date from the post’s own timestamp, 2025-07-29.
• [Position, 2025-01-15] “Keating Statement on Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Hamas” (published 2025-01-15), in full: “Today’s announcement of a long overdue ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel and Hamas marks a major turning point in what has been a nightmare for many families, including Americans, and the people of the region. Hamas's brutal terrorist attack on October 7th followed by fifteen months of intense war has led to thousands of deaths and overwhelming destruction in Gaza. This deal, brought on by months of tireless diplomacy from the Biden administration as well as allies and partners in the region, would halt the fighting in Gaza, reunite hostages with families, and greatly increase humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. While remaining hopeful, as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, I will be watching closely as this complicated deal moves forward into the implementation phase. I strongly urge the incoming Trump administration to see this deal through and encourage all the actors in the region to adhere to its commitments.” Verified verbatim.

Characterization of the conflict

• [Position, 2025-08-12] GBH News (published 2025-08-12), on the Massachusetts delegation and the plan to occupy Gaza City: “In a previously released statement, Rep. Bill Keating said that Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza City ‘will only endanger hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians who will again be displaced by this conflict, worsen the humanitarian situation, and further threaten the remaining hostages.’” Verified verbatim. The underlying statement was issued earlier and was not located on his own site.
• [Position, 2026-08-25] The New Bedford Light (datePublished 2026-08-25) on the WATD 95.9 radio debate of August 24, 2026: “On the American relationship with Israel and Palestine, Keating described Israel as a strategically important ally in a region hostile to the U.S. But he also cited a resolution he said he co-led with Rep. Pramila Jayapal addressing humanitarian abuses in Gaza committed by Israel.” Reported speech, not a quotation. South Shore News (datePublished 2026-08-27) reports the same passage: “On foreign policy, both said the United States should hold Israel accountable; Swallow said a genocide is occurring in Palestine and that the U.S. should stop funding weapons transfers, while Keating pointed to his co-leadership with Rep. Pramila Jayapal of a resolution on humanitarian abuses in Gaza.” The debate audio itself was not heard.
• [Position, 2026-08-06] He signed the letter of eleven senators and nine Massachusetts representatives led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen to Secretary Rubio, Secretary Bessent and Acting Attorney General Blanche on West Bank settler violence (Warren release, datePublished 2026-08-06). “Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) also joined in signing the letter.” From the letter: “We have concerns that the administration’s deference to the Netanyahu government has contributed to a climate of impunity and unbridled violence towards civilian populations and religious minorities,” and “Ending sanctions against those individuals and entities associated with West Bank extremism sent a clear message: settlers can use violent and deadly force with impunity against Palestinians and Americans while seizing land.” Collective wording only. The release does not contain the words “ensure that U.S. assistance complies with U.S. law and the law of armed conflict”, which the search summary attributed to it.
• [Reaction window, 2023-10-17] GBH News (published 2023-10-17), a delegation round-up: “Bill Keating immediately condemned the ‘senseless terrorist attacks’ and vowed American support for Israeli people and government. He downplayed any disagreements within the Massachusetts delegation or among congressional Democrats after the Oct. 9 rally on Boston Common, telling the Globe that the ‘vast majority’ of the party supports President Joe Biden’s response.” Off the card (C1).
• [Reaction window, 2023-10-17] The Martha’s Vineyard Times (published 2023-10-17), on a gathering at the Chabad of Martha’s Vineyard: “A statement was then made on behalf of Rep. Bill Keating, and was given in person by Michael Jackman of Keating’s office. ‘There are no “both sides” when the stated goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel and to murder the Jewish people as a whole,’ read Jackman. ‘It is the role of the United States and the rest of the free world to stand with Israel and support it as it defends itself, as it responds to this barbaric attack.’” Read by a staff member, not spoken by him. Off the card (C1).
• [Position, 2024-07-24] GBH News on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress: “Spokespeople for Reps. Jake Auchincloss, Katherine Clark, Bill Keating and Seth Moulton said they planned to attend Netanyahu’s address.” A spokesperson’s statement of intent; nothing located says whether he attended.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

• [Position, 2026-09-02] Algemeiner, on the September 1 primary: “Swallow lost his competition for the 9th District seat to establishment candidate Bill Keating,” and “Keating has repeatedly voted for legislation in favor of transferring military aid to Israel and has established himself as generally favorable toward the Jewish state.” That sentence is the outlet’s characterisation of a voting record, and the votes belong to the card’s record section. The page carries no publication metadata; the date is the one in its own address.
• [Position, 2026-07-17] Massachusetts Peace Action (published 2026-07-17), endorsing his primary opponent, writes of Keating: “He is an annual AIPAC recipient and has never supported any proposed legislation that seeks to limit the transfer of weapons to Israel. Most recently, Keating voted against a resolution to remove the United States armed forces from Lebanon.” This is an advocacy group speaking about him, and the first half of that claim sits awkwardly beside the Silver Shield bill he co-introduced three days later. Recorded, not adopted; the vote claims belong to the record section.
• [Position, 2026-08-19] The New Bedford Light (published 2026-08-19), the pre-primary profile of the race, covers ICE, housing, health care, campaign finance and debates and contains nothing on Israel, Gaza or U.S. aid. Its reader comments raise Israel; comments are not the candidate.
• [Undated; read 2026-09-07] SunlightHub, a database that describes itself as documenting supporters of the State of Israel, says he “attended the 2015 AIPAC Policy Conference and voted for both the $26.4 billion Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act and the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act (TikTok ban) in April 2024”, lists two letters he is said to have signed in 2024, and carries photographs it captions as him on an AIPAC-sponsored trip and at the 2015 conference. A third-party compilation; its vote listings are not restated here.
• [Undated; read 2026-09-07] AJP Action, the advocacy arm of Americans for Justice in Palestine, publishes a scorecard listing roughly thirty measures with his position on each, most of them from October 2023 to April 2024. A third-party compilation of votes and co-sponsorships; recorded, not restated.
• [Undated; read 2026-09-07] LegiStorm’s page for the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism (https://www.legistorm.com/organization/summary/122796/House_Bipartisan_Task_Force_for_Combating_Anti_Semitism.html) opened, but the 664 words retrieved do not contain his name. The membership claim is unconfirmed and is not used.

Safety and antisemitism (context, not an answer to what America sends)

• [Earlier record, 2020-02-11] CapeCod.com (published 2020-02-11) on the hearing he chaired, “Resisting Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia in Europe”: “Antisemitism and hate is something we must work tirelessly to address in government and across civil society. But at its core, we can’t forget the deeply personal nature of these harms,” and “It’s essential to acknowledge that evil does indeed exist. Antisemitism and hate did not begin with Adolf Hitler and did not end after the Holocaust. Hate speech, discrimination, and violence based on a person’s identity, be it creed, race, sexual orientation, place of origin or otherwise is a scourge we cannot afford to ignore at any time.” He also said reported cases of Islamophobia had increased in every country in Europe. Verified verbatim.
• [Earlier record, 2022-01-20] Massachusetts delegation statement after the hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, signed by the full delegation including Keating: “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in the wake of the horrific hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel. Americans everywhere have the right to worship in peace. Yet the rising tide of antisemitism has forced Jewish organizations across the country to confront violence as a clear and present threat. We cannot allow this to be the new normal. We must all work towards a future free from antisemitism and faith-based violence.” Collective wording.

Not on the card, and why

• The GBH round-up of October 17, 2023 and the statement read for him on Martha’s Vineyard the same day: reaction window, off the card (C1). Dated, labelled and linked above.
• The July 2026 amendment vote, and the report that pro-Israel donation links were withheld from him afterwards: votes and campaign money are the card’s record, not its prose. Kept above.
• The Iran and Hezbollah designations he cites on his own issues page: they are about Iran and Hezbollah, not about what the United States sends the government of Israel. His self-description on that page is quoted above.
• Massachusetts Peace Action and AJP Action: advocacy organisations speaking about him, and both speak mainly about votes. Recorded above.
• A December 16, 2023 Forbes report that the search described, on his questioning of witnesses at a Foreign Affairs hearing about antisemitism in Europe: no address was supplied and the item could not be located, so it is not used. It would be reaction window in any case.
• A YouTube video and a U.S. embassy page returned by the search: the video was not identified as being about him and the embassy address did not resolve.

Sources read for this card (address; opened or could not open; date read)

• https://keating.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/humanitarianaid (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://keating.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/keating-statement-ceasefire-deal-between-israel-and-hamas (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2025-08-12/mass-congressional-delegation-condemns-israels-escalation-in-gaza (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-10-17/where-the-mass-congressional-delegation-stands-on-the-crisis-in-israel-and-gaza (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2024-07-24/several-members-of-mass-delegation-to-skip-netanyahus-speech-to-congress (read from a copy taken for this run; 2026-09-07)
• https://dean.house.gov/2025/7/bipartisan-arms-sales-task-force-introduces-bill-to-prevent-u-s-weapons-from-harming-civilians (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.justsecurity.org/117989/silver-shield-act-american-weapons/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-van-hollen-colleagues-urge-trump-admin-to-end-settler-violence-and-expansion-in-west-bank-call-for-restoring-sanctions-and-an-investigation-into-americans-deaths/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://newbedfordlight.org/u-s-rep-bill-keating-challenger-craig-swallow-clash-in-radio-debate/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://newbedfordlight.org/keatings-experience-meets-swallows-call-for-change-in-congressional-primary/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.southshore.news/p/stock-trades-and-pac-money-dominate (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/09/02/anti-israel-insurgents-fall-flat-massachusetts-democratic-primaries/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2026/07/16/the-entire-mass-house-delegation-voted-to-cut-israel-aid-heres-what-they-said/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://fmep.org/resource/members-on-the-record-re-ending-aid-to-israel-re-7-15-26-house-vote-on-massie-amendment/ (opened; he is not in it; 2026-09-07)
• https://responsiblestatecraft.org/israel-abraham-accords/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://masspeaceaction.org/news/peace-voter/elect-craig-swallow-to-congress/2026/07/17/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://keating.house.gov/policy-work/issues/foreign-affairs (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://keatingforcongress.com/ (opened; nothing in scope; 2026-09-07)
• https://x.com/USRepKeating/status/1950247556673376622 (opened; the post text is truncated by the platform at 276 characters; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.capecod.com/newscenter/keating-holds-antisemitism-hearing/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://neal.house.gov/2022/01/20/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2397/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.mvtimes.com/2023/10/17/political-local-leaders-support-israel-chabad/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.sunlighthub.org/people/bill-keating (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://ajpaction.org/democratic-scorecard/bill-keating/ (opened; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.legistorm.com/organization/summary/122796/House_Bipartisan_Task_Force_for_Combating_Anti_Semitism.html (opened; does not name him; 2026-09-07)
• https://www.imeupolicyproject.org/newsletters/historic-bill-introduced-to-block-bombs-to-israel (could not open, refused; 2026-09-07)
• https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts%27_9th_Congressional_District_election,_2026 (opened; general election field; 2026-09-07)
• https://jayapal.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/JAYAPA_045_xml.pdf (address taken from the June 2025 release; not opened)
• https://keating.house.gov/media/press-releases (opened; his press page carries no keyword search, and its recent items contain no further Israel or Gaza material; 2026-09-07)
• This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-07, not a claim that no other statement exists.