But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Peter Oberacker
Republican · U.S. House, New York District 19
–No Position Found
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.
No recorded votes on the bills we track. We found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
Oberacker has not spoken publicly on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. No statement was found in source-checked research across 10 sources.
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10 sources checked and read, every one listed on the research page. Most candidates at this level have simply never been asked.
You are better placed to change that than we are. Ask Oberacker directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in their own words, which is worth more than anything we could write about them.
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.
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
What was looked for, and what came back
**U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel:** There is no public record of statements or personal legislative actions made by Peter Oberacker regarding U.S. federal military aid or weapons transfers to Israel.
**Characterization of the conflict:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Safety and antisemitism:** Material returned; set out in full below.
What an initial search did return, on the other questions
The card's claim is about what the United States sends, and that question came back empty. These questions did return material. It is reproduced word for word so nothing found is lost, and it is context rather than a position on U.S. weapons or money. Em dashes are rendered as hyphens to satisfy house style; no wording is changed.
### Characterization of the conflict * **April 4, 2024:** During an event held in Albany by the Senate Minority Conference alongside the advocacy group "Run for Their Lives," Oberacker characterized the plight of hostages held in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks as deeply personal, stating, "This is highly personal for so many, and I stand with you in your continued fight to bring the hostages home". * **April 26, 2024:** In response to campus demonstrations and encampments surrounding the conflict, Oberacker signed a joint letter criticizing Columbia University's administration, characterizing the university's handling of pro-Hamas/pro-Palestinian protests as "disappointing, concerning and, frankly, disgusting". He added that forcing students to switch to remote learning rather than taking action against protesters committing harassment was "unthinkable".
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### Rhetoric and lobbying * **April 26, 2023:** Oberacker co-sponsored New York Senate Resolution J785, which officially congratulated the State of Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence and reaffirmed the partnership between New York State and Israel. * **March 27, 2024:** As part of a slate of legislative proposals endorsed by the Senate Republican Antisemitism Working Group, Oberacker backed S.8625 (the "New York State Antisemitism Vandalism Act"). The bill aimed to establish a Class A misdemeanor for destroying or damaging pro-Israel banners, flyers, or posters placed in public spaces to raise awareness for Israeli victims or show support for Israel. * **April 4, 2024:** Oberacker joined colleagues and community organizers at the New York State Capitol to publicly demand the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza.
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### Safety and antisemitism * **February 28, 2023:** Oberacker was appointed to the New York State Senate Republican Conference Antisemitism Working Group. In a statement on February 28, 2023, he condemned the rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes as "heinous, violent acts" and called for decisive legislative action "to ensure no one comes under attack because of their faith or religion". * **March 27, 2024:** Oberacker and fellow members of the Antisemitism Working Group unveiled a report and sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul calling for immediate legislative action to combat antisemitism in New York. The package included proposals to incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into human rights law, revoke state tuition assistance from students participating in antisemitic acts, withhold state funding from colleges failing to address antisemitism, and expand bans on Nazi symbols (including legislation sponsored directly by Oberacker, S.8774). * **April 26, 2024:** Following protests at Columbia University, Oberacker co-authored a letter urging Governor Hochul to withhold state funding from Columbia University and support efforts to revoke its tax-exempt status, arguing that higher education institutions must remain safe havens and that Columbia failed to protect Jewish students and faculty on campus.
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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