But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Dan Osborn
His 2024 campaign said "Israel’s response was justified." In 2026 he welcomed an endorsement from a group urging cuts to U.S. aid for the government of Israel, and told a town hall: "No bomb or bullet that says ‘made in the USA’ should ever drop on a school or hospital".
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You asked Dan Osborn where they stand.
Deep Dive
Osborn, a Navy veteran and former union leader, is the independent challenging Sen. Ricketts after his 2024 run against Sen. Fischer. His statements on the question changed between his 2024 and 2026 campaigns.
In April 2024 his campaign told The American Prospect that "Hamas is a terrorist group and Dan thinks Israel’s response was justified." In February 2026 he welcomed A New Policy PAC's endorsement. The PAC is a campaign and lobbying group whose advocacy arm urges cutting off and conditioning U.S. aid to the government of Israel. In his statement he said "We deserve a foreign policy that honors the decency and moral center of the American people," and that Americans' "tax dollars pay for bombs that knock over hospitals in other countries." He went on: "‘Made in the USA’ should be a point of pride, not a point of shame when it’s written on bombs that kill kids".
Asked at a May 2026 Omaha town hall whether Gaza is a genocide, he answered: "I’m not an expert on what a genocide is. I see the pictures coming out of Gaza, and there’s nothing left. And they don’t let the press in there. They don’t let humanitarian aid in. They’re starving people to death. This is a human tragedy, and we should not be complicit in it." At the same event he said: "No bomb or bullet that says ‘made in the USA’ should ever drop on a school or hospital, period". The Plains Sentinel reported that he described Israel as an "ally" and said he does not take AIPAC money, citing the need to overturn Citizens United. In March 2026 he told Jewish Insider he opposes being drawn into an "open-ended, costly war" with Iran and that "I will always stand against anti-Semitism, and completely agree we cannot allow a nuclear Iran."
The record
• Accepted (February 2026) the endorsement of A New Policy PAC, a campaign and lobbying group whose advocacy arm has accused the government of Israel of genocide and urges cutting off and conditioning U.S. aid to the government of Israel, saying he was 'happy to receive' it.
• Criticized (early 2026) the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, questioning the motives and warning against another open-ended Middle East war.
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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Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: His 2026 words condemn U.S. bombs hitting schools, hospitals and children and set a limit on where they may fall, but never say the weapons should stop, so it reads as a condition on use rather than an end. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
In their words
A New Policy PAC (2026 cycle) · Peace Action (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
- [Position, 2026-05-25] Omaha town hall (Plains Sentinel, read and verified): "No bomb or bullet that says ‘made in the USA’ should ever drop on a school or hospital, period" (verbatim). The same report says he described Israel as an "ally" while being "largely critical of the war in Gaza" (the outlet's words, not his).
- [Position, 2024-09-25, reported] Speaking to University of Nebraska-Lincoln students on September 23, 2024, he said the United States is uniquely positioned to broker a peace deal both sides can agree to, while unsure what it would look like; the student paper reported, in its own words, that "Osborn supports a defensive purpose only funding Israel" (Daily Nebraskan, published 2024-09-25). A reporter's summary, not a quotation of his.
- [Position, 2024-04-25, reported] The American Prospect reported, in its own words and not his spokesperson's, that "Osborn has indicated support for conditions attached to military aid to Ukraine but not yet for Israel."
- [Position, 2026-02, reported 2026-03-09] Welcomed A New Policy PAC's endorsement: "We deserve a foreign policy that honors the decency and moral center of the American people... I'm proud to stand with A New Policy PAC in that calling" (Jewish Insider). The same statement continues: "Americans go bankrupt from unplanned hospital visits while their tax dollars pay for bombs that knock over hospitals in other countries" and "‘Made in the USA’ should be a point of pride, not a point of shame when it’s written on bombs that kill kids". Jewish Insider describes the group's advocacy arm as having accused Israel of genocide and as urging cutting off and conditioning U.S. aid to the government of Israel.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2026-05-25] At the same town hall he said "They don’t let humanitarian aid in" (Plains Sentinel, verbatim); he did not state a U.S. funding position for Palestinians.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2026-05-25] Omaha town hall (Plains Sentinel, read and verified), asked whether the conflict is a genocide: "I’m not an expert on what a genocide is. I see the pictures coming out of Gaza, and there’s nothing left. And they don’t let the press in there. They don’t let humanitarian aid in. They’re starving people to death. This is a human tragedy, and we should not be complicit in it." (verbatim)
- [Position, 2026-03-09] To Jewish Insider: "Right now, I do have concerns about the United States participating in an unpopular conflict with Iran that may draw us into another open-ended, costly war in the Middle East during a moment where large swaths of our citizens, including veterans, can't afford groceries or medicine."
- [Position, 2024-04-25] A campaign spokesperson to The American Prospect: "Hamas is a terrorist group and Dan thinks Israel’s response was justified. At this point, Dan is concerned about mounting casualties and thinks America should do whatever it can to assist in bringing about a resolution and resume the long, hard road to stability". Jewish Insider reprinted it in March 2026.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2026-05-25] Takes no AIPAC money; framed within campaign-finance reform and overturning Citizens United (Plains Sentinel, verified). A money-refusal statement, never read as a weapons position; his funding positions are stated separately above.
- [Position, 2026-05-04] Race framing: working-class independent vs a billionaire senator (American Prospect); his campaign site carries no Israel platform (its home and plans pages were read again on 2026-09-25).
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Position, 2026-03-09] "I will always stand against anti-Semitism, and completely agree we cannot allow a nuclear Iran" (Jewish Insider).
Also in this race
- ✗Supports Pete Ricketts (Republican)
- –No Position Found Chuck Conboy (Other)
- –No Position Found Mike Marvin (Other)
- –No Position Found Robin Richards (Other)
All Nebraska candidates.
See everyone on the Nebraska ballot →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.