But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
George Latimer
- Backed with $5.6M by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
- Sits on House Foreign Affairs
Latimer called Iron Dome funding "vital" and commended the 2024 security package as a crucial step for allies. He says peace begins with the hostages’ release, and that humanitarian aid follows from that point forward.
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You asked George Latimer where they stand.
Deep Dive
Latimer represents New York’s 16th District in Westchester and the Bronx, and is running for re-election. He won the seat in 2024 by defeating the incumbent, Jamaal Bowman, in a primary in which Israel policy was central.
On U.S. weapons he is on the record, on his own campaign site, in April 2024. He commended the security package: "Today, the US took a crucial step to advance a global security package, sending a clear message to our allies in the fight against terror and international drug cartels that we stand with them and will support them in their time of need." He then attacked his opponent for voting against it, naming the aid specifically: "Mr. Bowman voted against Iron Dome funding, which was vital in repelling Iran’s unprecedented attack against Israel this week."
On aid to Palestinians his position is about sequence. At their televised primary debate in May 2024 he said: "Any future for peace begins with the release of the hostages or the remains of the hostages and from that point forward humanitarian aid, the cessation of hostilities makes sense." On a ceasefire: "You can call for it all you want. You have to make it part of the deal." He distanced himself from the Israeli prime minister while doing it: "I don’t stand with Benjamin Netanyahu, I stand with the hostage families", adding that "The Israeli people need to see that they have a partner in peace." On responsibility: "It takes both sides to be committed to peace. Hamas on Oct. 7 went over that borderline, viciously murdered people."
In September 2025, after a congressional trip to Israel, an initial search reports he said critics overlook Hamas’s role in the humanitarian crisis and that Israel must also do more to facilitate aid. His recorded votes on the tracked bills are shown separately on this card.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
• 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.
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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
$5.6M in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · DMFI 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
- 2024-04-22 [Current position; VERIFIED 2026-08-11 ON A SECOND CHECK]: On his campaign site: "Today, the US took a crucial step to advance a global security package, sending a clear message to our allies in the fight against terror and international drug cartels that we stand with them and will support them in their time of need." And, criticising his primary opponent: "Mr. Bowman voted against Iron Dome funding, which was vital in repelling Iran's unprecedented attack against Israel this week." He also faulted Bowman for voting against terminating the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organisations and against condemning Iran's attack.
⚠ **CORRECTED 2026-08-11. THIS CARD PREVIOUSLY SAID NO STATEMENT OF HIS ON U.S. MILITARY AID WAS LOCATED.** That was wrong, and the cause was mine: our first reading of the page lost its body text, so a readable page looked empty. Read again properly, the statement is there word for word. He has a clear position and it is now on the card.
- 2025-09-04 [Current position]: After a congressional trip to Israel an initial search reports he said international critics frequently overlook Hamas's central role in causing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and that Israel must also do more to facilitate aid and work toward ending the war (Jewish Insider). Not opened.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- 2024-05-13 [Current position; VERIFIED]: At the televised primary debate, per JTA: "Any future for peace begins with the release of the hostages or the remains of the hostages and from that point forward humanitarian aid, the cessation of hostilities makes sense." And on a ceasefire: "You can call for it all you want. You have to make it part of the deal." A sequencing position: hostages first, then aid.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2024-05-13 [Current position; VERIFIED]: "I don't stand with Benjamin Netanyahu, I stand with the hostage families." "The Israeli people need to see that they have a partner in peace." "It takes both sides to be committed to peace. Hamas on Oct. 7 went over that borderline, viciously murdered people."
- 2023-12-04 [Months after October 7, 2023; on this page only]: After a November 2023 solidarity trip organised by the Westchester Jewish Council he held a press briefing placing responsibility for the war on Hamas.
- 2025-10-07 [Current position]: His statement commemorating the second anniversary, condemning Hamas, calling for release of the remaining hostages and saying Hamas must accept a ceasefire proposal.
- 2024-05-14 [Current position]: The Jerusalem Post also covered the debate.
The tracked votes on this record
- His badge records **No** on the amendment to H.R. 8595, the Massie amendment to bar FY27 funds for Israel and cut $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing, and **No** on H.Amdt. 55 to H.R. 4016, an amendment to strike $500 million for Israeli Cooperative Programs. Both amendments would have cut support, so a No on each is a vote against making the cut. He has not been located speaking about either vote, so this card does not characterise them; they are named here because the bill titles became available only on 2026-08-11, and before that a card could not have described them at all.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- 2023-12-07 [Months after October 7, 2023]: On entering the race he pushed back against framing his candidacy around pro-Israel advocacy.
- 2024-02-10 [Current position]: At a Black History Month event he told a constituent his primary opponent was "taking money from Hamas", which drew threats of a defamation suit. An accusation about an opponent's funding, barred from a card by our rule against motive-characterizations.
- 2024-08-22 [Current position]: At a Jewish Democratic Council of America event he rejected claims the party was deeply fractured over Israel policy (JNS).
- 2025-08-10 [Current position]: He joined a congressional delegation to Israel sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation.
Safety and antisemitism
[Context only, never the answer to what America sends.]
- 2024-01-08 [Months after October 7, 2023]: After an antisemitic incident at a Yonkers school basketball game he said Westchester County "will not tolerate anti-Semitism".
- 2024-05-13 [Current position; out of scope]: At the debate he characterized certain pro-Palestinian campus slogans as hate speech.
What came back empty or unusable
- Three sources found are YouTube urls with no retrievable text.
- The September 2025 Jewish Insider interview was not opened.
Also in this race
- ?Mixed Joseph Cinquemani (Republican)
All New York candidates.
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