But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Hakeem S. Jeffries
- Backed with $17K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Endorsed by AIPAC
Jeffries opposed the Massie amendment to cut $3.3 billion in military financing to Israel, calling it overly broad. In the same July 2026 letter he called for a "major reset" when the aid agreement expires in 2028, saying Israel can pay for its own weapons.
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You asked Hakeem S. Jeffries where they stand.
Deep Dive
Jeffries represents New York’s 8th District and is House Democratic Leader, which makes his position on this the closest thing the House Democratic caucus has to a stated one.
His July 14, 2026 "Dear Colleague" letter did two things at once. It announced his opposition to Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment cutting $3.3 billion in direct Foreign Military Financing, on the grounds that it was overly broad, would impede efforts against Hamas and Hezbollah, and would inadvertently cut humanitarian and peacebuilding programmes. In the same letter he argued for a "major reset" of U.S. aid policy toward Israel when the current Memorandum of Understanding expires in 2028, on the reasoning that Israel’s advanced economy allows it to pay for its own weapons. Four outlets reported it the same day: Jewish Insider, the Guardian, Truthout and, the next day, the Times of Israel.
Earlier he was straightforwardly supportive. In April 2024 he supported continued defense assistance to defeat Hamas while insisting operations be conducted with precision and aid corridors kept open. In the same statement he called civilian deaths in Gaza "heartbreaking and deeply disturbing". One earlier statement of his sits on the research page.
On July 16, 2026 he described the regional status quo as unsustainable and set out a two-state framework as the direction of Democratic House policy. His recorded votes on the tracked bills are shown separately on this card.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
• 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 exactly half of their recorded tracked votes. The tie is broken by an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$17K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
AIPAC (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
- 2026-07-14 [Current position; FOUR INDEPENDENT SOURCES]: A "Dear Colleague" letter to House Democrats announced his opposition to Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment eliminating $3.3 billion in direct Foreign Military Financing to Israel. He argued the amendment was "overly broad", would impede efforts to counter Hamas and Hezbollah, and would inadvertently cut non-military humanitarian and peacebuilding programmes. In the same letter he advocated a "major reset" of U.S. aid policy toward Israel on expiry of the current Memorandum of Understanding in 2028, reasoning that Israel’s advanced economy allows it to pay for its own weapons in future. Reported by Jewish Insider, the Guardian, Truthout and the Times of Israel.
Note on the badges: the amendment this letter concerns is the same measure the card’s tracked-vote badge records. Per our writing rules the card does not restate vote numbers, and it characterises the position because he spoke about it publicly.
- 2023-11-14 [Months after October 7, 2023; on this page only]: At a Washington rally he supported federal supplemental security funding to assist Israel in its defense, alongside humanitarian aid.
- 2024-04-08 [Current position]: A statement on the war supported continued defense assistance to defeat Hamas while emphasising that operations be carried out with surgical precision to minimise civilian harm and preserve aid corridors.
Characterization of the conflict
- 2014-07-30 [Earlier record]: At a New York rally he characterised the defense of Israel as vital to international security, saying "Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever". The source page is Mondoweiss, an advocacy outlet, retained as a source an initial search consulted.
- 2023-10-07 and 2024-04-08 [Months after October 7, 2023 and current position]: He characterised the October 7 attacks as a "horrific terrorist attack" and reaffirmed Israel’s "unequivocal right to exist as a Jewish, Democratic state". In the April 2024 statement he called civilian deaths in Gaza "heartbreaking and deeply disturbing", said the IDF must adhere strictly to international rules of war, and called for unimpeded delivery of food and medicine.
- 2026-07-16 [Current position]: At a Capitol press briefing he called the Middle East status quo "unsustainable" and outlined a policy under Democratic House leadership focused on a long-term two-state solution guaranteeing both a secure Israel and an independent, prosperous Palestinian state. Jewish Insider.
Rhetoric and lobbying
- Nothing separable from the above.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
- 2022-12-02: Incoming House Democratic leadership statement on antisemitism.
- 2023-10-27: Statement marking five years since the Tree of Life shooting.
- 2024-04-23: Statement on college campus unrest; further coverage in the Forward (2024-11-22).
- 2025-05-22 and 2025-12-14: Statements on the Capital Jewish Museum shooting and an attack in Australia.
What came back empty or unusable
- No statement located on U.S. aid to Palestinians as a budget line, on UNRWA, or on Gaza humanitarian funding as distinct from his general insistence on aid corridors.
- His position has moved over time, from unqualified support of supplemental funding in 2023 to arguing for a major reset in 2028. Both ends are on the research page and the card carries the current position.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Lewis Mizrahi (Republican)
All New York candidates.
See everyone on the New York 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.