But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Rebecca Bennett
Democrat · U.S. House, New Jersey District 7
?Mixed
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.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: Asked whether she supports conditioning aid, her own answer is that Israel must be held accountable to U.S. law like any other ally, a law-based condition; the no-conditions report is the outlet's single-source paraphrase and her other words are general support. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
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Bennett is the Democratic candidate for New Jersey's 7th District, a former Navy helicopter pilot running against Rep. Tom Kean Jr.
In an August 2025 interview she said support for Israel “shouldn’t be partisan,” adding: “I think we should be supporting Israel as an ally, regardless of political party.” The outlet reports directly that she "supports continuing U.S. aid to Israel without restrictions or conditions."
In the same interview, speaking after ceasefire talks broke down, she said she was disappointed and emphasised the need to free the hostages and end the war in Gaza: “I think this is why it’s so important that we have serious, experienced leaders that are at the table having these conversations”.
At a New Jersey Globe and Rider University primary debate in Rahway on May 12, 2026, the candidates were asked whether they supported conditioning aid to Israel. New Jersey Globe reported that she said Israel should be held to the same standards as other allies, and quoted her: “What Netanyahu is doing is not in the best long-term interest of Israel, just like I don’t think what the Trump administration is doing is in the best long-term interest of the United States”. She went on: “And so to me, the framework that I would use to evaluate this is that Israel needs to be held accountable to U.S. law, just like any other ally; there shouldn’t be a higher standard or a lower standard.” That is a later answer than the 2025 interview, and it names a test the 2025 report did not: accountability to U.S. law.
She has no federal voting record.
No statement was located from her on U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians beyond the call to end the war.
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
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.
In their words
“I think we should be supporting Israel as an ally, regardless of political party.”
“What Netanyahu is doing is not in the best long-term interest of Israel, just like I don’t think what the Trump administration is doing is in the best long-term interest of the United States”
“And so to me, the framework that I would use to evaluate this is that Israel needs to be held accountable to U.S. law, just like any other ally; there shouldn’t be a higher standard or a lower standard.”
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, 2026-05-12] At the New Jersey Globe and Rider University primary debate in Rahway, where the candidates were asked if they supported conditioning aid to Israel, New Jersey Globe (May 13, 2026) reports that she "said she worked with Israeli contractors while in the Navy" and "said Israel should be held to the same standards as other allies", and quotes her in two passages it separates with an attribution: “What Netanyahu is doing is not in the best long-term interest of Israel, just like I don’t think what the Trump administration is doing is in the best long-term interest of the United States,” and “And so to me, the framework that I would use to evaluate this is that Israel needs to be held accountable to U.S. law, just like any other ally; there shouldn’t be a higher standard or a lower standard.”
[Position, 2025-08-07] Jewish Insider. The outlet's own sentence: "Bennett said she supports continuing U.S. aid to Israel without restrictions or conditions." Her words in the same passage, which the outlet separates with an attribution: support for Israel “shouldn’t be partisan,” and “I think we should be supporting Israel as an ally, regardless of political party.”
**The no-conditions position is the outlet's report of what she said rather than a quotation of her**, and the card presents it that way. Her own words at the May 2026 debate, above, are later and set accountability to U.S. law as the test.
[Position, 2026-05-21, reported] Around a primary debate, said her military service showed her how important Israel is as an ally, that Netanyahu's actions were not in Israel's best long-term interest, and that Israel should not be held to a higher or lower standard than any other ally (Jewish Insider). Not opened.
She has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
No distinct position located. Her call to "end the war in Gaza" is recorded under characterization.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, 2025-08-07] After ceasefire talks fell apart she said she was disappointed, emphasised freeing the hostages and ending the war in Gaza, and said “I think this is why it’s so important that we have serious, experienced leaders that are at the table having these conversations”.
[Position, 2026-05-12] At the debate: “What Netanyahu is doing is not in the best long-term interest of Israel” (New Jersey Globe, quoted in full above). A later Jewish Insider report (2026-05-21, not opened) summarizes the same view.
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.
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