James Hayes
Hayes told TribLIVE that U.S. support for Israel is "strategically important, I support them and their efforts," calling Israel "one of our best allies in the world." He is running against Rep. Summer Lee.
Hayes is the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania's 12th District, running against Rep. Summer Lee, whose position is the opposite of his on every part of this question.
His clearest statement is to TribLIVE in October 2024: "I think they're one of our best allies in the world — a thriving democracy in the Middle East." He also said: "I think it's strategically important, I support them and their efforts, and my opponent has made remarks which are at odds with Israel's safety and security."
In July 2024, after Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress, he said the United States must continue to support Israel in its fight against Hamas and to bring the hostages home, and described Israel as the United States' strongest ally in the Middle East and perhaps the world. In May 2024 he said he absolutely supports Israel and opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, citing Israeli innovation.
Much of his located record is about his opponent rather than about policy. In April 2023 he attacked Lee's vote against a resolution marking Israel's 75th anniversary in terms the research page records, and noted that the vote coincided with jury selection for the trial over the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, which happened in this district.
He has offered no detailed position on specific weapons packages, funding levels or conditions.
He has no federal voting record.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- [Position, 2024-10-25] TribLIVE, opened and confirmed word for word: "I think they're one of our best allies in the world - a thriving democracy in the Middle East," he said. "I think it's strategically important, I support them and their efforts, and my opponent has made remarks which are at odds with Israel's safety and security."
- [Position, 2024-07-30, reported] After Netanyahu's address to Congress, said the United States must continue to support Israel in its fight against Hamas and to bring the hostages home. Not quoted, because the source is a round-up (below). The research's source is a Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle round-up of politicians' reactions, **cited four times**. That is a multi-person reaction round-up, the source shape that produced the oh10-knickerbocker misattribution in this batch of research, so it was not used as a verified quotation and is recorded as reported.
- **No position located on specific weapons packages, funding levels or conditions.** The research itself records this.
- He has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- No statement or documented position located.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2024-10-25] Israel as "one of our best allies in the world — a thriving democracy in the Middle East" (confirmed verbatim, above).
- [Position, 2024-05-17, reported] In a Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle interview said he absolutely supports Israel, opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, cited the "plethora of innovation that comes out of the Jewish state" and asked "Why wouldn't we want to invest in that?" (the interview, cited twice). Not opened.
- [Prior, 2023-04-26, reported] Responding to Rep. Lee's vote against a resolution marking Israel's 75th anniversary, asked "Does Summer Lee not know why Israel exists? Does she not care?" (JNS). Before 2023-10-07, so prior band.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior, 2023-04-26, reported] In the same response he said "There can be no doubt that Summer Lee stands with antisemites like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. All pretense has been cast aside by this despicable, hateful vote."
**Recorded, not quoted on the card, and no label is repeated here.** Under the standing ruling of 2026-08-12 this site describes behaviour rather than applying or relaying labels, in either direction; the sentence is a label applied by one politician to others, it is prior-band, and its source was not opened. It is recorded because §3.7 keeps the record.
- [Prior, 2023-04-26, reported] Noted that Lee's vote coincided with jury selection for the trial over the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, which occurred in this district: "To abandon the world's Jews in the face of mounting antisemitism is troubling..." Prior band, quotation truncated in the research and not completed by inference.
- [2024-09-26] A Beacon Coalition candidate assessment. Advocacy source, consulted only (C3).
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- Covered by the April 2023 material above, which is prior-band and about his opponent rather than about U.S. assistance.
- [Undated] Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle coverage of an October 27 commemoration. Not opened.
Note on sources and on the race
- Sixteen entries with heavy duplication: the Netanyahu-reaction round-up is cited **four times**, and two other Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle pieces twice each. One entry is Post-Gazette coverage of the 2024 result and one is Post-Gazette coverage of Rep. Lee and CAIR, which is about his opponent rather than him.
- This district is the sharpest contrast in the state: see pa12-lee, who has called for an arms embargo, against a challenger who calls support for Israel strategically important.
Also in this race: Summer L. Lee (Democrat) · All Pennsylvania 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.