Curtis Stinnett
Stinnett wrote in August 2026 that the United States must stop all military aid to the government of Israel until the Netanyahu government is gone and restitution begins, and told a voter in September he would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until those changes are made.
Stinnett is an independent running for the U.S. Senate in Oklahoma, a pharmacist from Tulsa. On 9 August 2026 he published an essay on his campaign site titled "Israel and Palestine": "We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution. This must be after a change from Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners." He writes that continuing aid "with knowledge of the war crimes the Netanyahu administration is committing is against both our own law as well as international law", and that Congress must take seriously the influence of the government of Israel and AIPAC, its American lobbying group, on U.S. military decisions.
Asked directly by a voter, he has answered twice. His emailed reply of 4 August 2026, published on this site in full, reads: "my actions as Senator would be to withhold any vote for funding to Israel while operations perpetuating the genocide of the Palestinian people are ongoing." He added that a new government would need to be in place before he could consider an affirmative vote, that he supports a two-state solution and "reparations for our part" in what he calls the destruction of Gaza, and that he refuses PAC and super PAC money generally, saying he would find AIPAC's support "particularly repugnant". That pledge is about who funds his campaign; his position on U.S. aid is the sentence before it. His second reply, of 2 September 2026, pointed the voter to the essay and put it in one line: "If elected I would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until we see these changes made (by Netanyahu’s successor)."
In the essay he also writes that recognising the Israeli government's crimes "should by no means result in harassment of the Jewish members of our community" and that "Antisemitism and hate are not the solution." Nothing from him on U.S. aid to Palestinians as a distinct question was located. What was read, and the dates, are on the research page.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- [Position, 2026-08-09] "Israel and Palestine", an essay on his campaign site under Main Ideas, signed "Written By Curtis Stinnett", dated Aug 9 on the page (the year, 2026, is from the site's Main Ideas listing, which dates it 8/9/26). Read in full on 2026-09-02. Quoted on the card: "We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution. This must be after a change from Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners." Also there: continuing aid "with knowledge of the war crimes the Netanyahu administration is committing is against both our own law as well as international law"; "War powers and spending are Congress's most solemn duty and one we have abdicated."
- [Position, 2026-08-04] His first emailed reply to a voter, sent from a personal gmail.com account that matches the campaign's published contact address, checked by a volunteer at the review desk and published in full. Quoted on the card: "my actions as Senator would be to withhold any vote for funding to Israel while operations perpetuating the genocide of the Palestinian people are ongoing." He continues: "This would require a new government would need to be in place before I could consider giving an affirmative vote."
- [Position, 2026-09-02] His second emailed reply, from the same account, answering the site's two standard questions: it links the essay, repeats its first sentence, and adds "If elected I would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until we see these changes made (by Netanyahu’s successor)." Published in full with the greeting, signature and the voter's quoted question trimmed.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located as a distinct position at any date. The 4 August reply supports "a two state solution and reparations for our part in supplying Israels destruction of the Gaza strip", which is about what the United States should pay, not about the aid pipeline; recorded here, not claimed as an aid position.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2026-08-09] The essay describes the people of Gaza and the West Bank as "systematically driven from their land, bombed, and starved" and says the Netanyahu administration "shows no sign that it will ever heed the calls to cease the genocide of the Palestinian people." His words, quoted with attribution; the site does not adopt them.
- [Position, 2026-08-04] The reply calls Netanyahu and his governing partners "guilty in plain sight of genocide of the Palestinian people" and says "The people of Israel deserve to exist."
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2026-08-04] He refuses PAC and super PAC contributions "now and forever" and says he would find AIPAC's support "particularly repugnant". A money-refusal pledge is a statement about his campaign's funding, not about U.S. weapons or aid; kept off the front for that reason.
- [Position, 2026-08-09] The essay says the United States must "take seriously the corrupting influence Israel and their American lobbying group AIPAC has had on our own and military decisions in the region as well as our politics at home."
Safety and antisemitism
- [Position, 2026-08-09] "Recognizing that the governing administration of Israel is guilty of heinous crimes should by no means result in harassment of the Jewish members of our community. Antisemitism and hate are not the solution. We must begin embracing every life with the dignity that life deserves." On the card as context.
Not on the card, and why
- A Facebook video attributed to him on this topic (facebook.com/watch/?v=972659591913044) was named in an August review note but has not been opened by anyone writing this card; it is on the carrier list and is not cited.
- His earlier profile said nothing was found in which he mentions Israel or Gaza at any date. That was true of the sources read before 4 August 2026 and is superseded by the items above.
Sources retrieved for this card
- https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/main-ideas/israel-and-palestine (200, read 2026-09-02, 333 words, his byline)
- https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/main-ideas (200, read 2026-09-02; dates the essay 8/9/26)
- https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/about-1 (200, read 2026-09-02; biography, no Israel content)
- https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/ (200, read 2026-09-02; no Israel content)
- https://butwhatcanyoudo.org/sources/direct-candidate-correspondence/ok-sen-stinnett-2026-08-04/ (200, the first published reply)
- https://butwhatcanyoudo.org/sources/direct-candidate-correspondence/ok-sen-stinnett-2026-09-02/ (the second published reply)
Also in this race: Kevin Hern (Republican), Ron Meinhardt (Independent), N'Kiyla Jasmine - Ann Thomas (Democrat), Sevier White (Libertarian) · All Oklahoma candidates.
See the full record →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 the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.