How to talk about this in a way that actually reaches people. Language matters. Here's what works.
Most people agree: their tax dollars shouldn't fund the killing of civilians. But the way this issue has been talked about makes people shut down before they even listen.
Protest slogans feel alienating to ordinary voters. Partisan framing lets people dismiss the message. Jargon loses everyone who isn't already on your side.
This campaign uses plain, factual, nonpartisan language, because we need to reach people who aren't already convinced.
"We don't need to convince activists. We need to convince voters."
Start with what's provable: the dollar amounts, the vote records, the outcomes. Let people draw their own conclusions. Facts persuade; outrage may alienate.
✓ Say: "Our representative accepted $X from the foreign lobby for the government of Israel and voted yes on a $26 billion weapons package, after tens of thousands of civilians, including thousands of children, had already been killed. Here's the vote record."
✗ Reconsider: "They're complicit in genocide and they don't care about dead children."
This is not a left or right issue. Both parties take foreign lobby money. Both parties vote for weapons packages. Always include examples from both sides. Never frame this as a partisan fight.
✓ Say: "Both Republicans and Democrats take money from the foreign lobby for the government of Israel. Both parties voted for the $26.38 billion package: Republicans 193 to 21, Democrats 173 to 37. Thomas Massie, a Republican, lost his primary after voting against it. This isn't about party; it's about accountability."
✗ Reconsider: "Democrats are hypocrites" or "Republicans are warmongers."
Say "the government of Israel" not shorthand. Say "civilians killed" not jargon. Say "our tax dollars" to make it personal. Avoid protest slogans. They shut down the people we need to reach.
✓ Say: "The government of Israel has used American weapons to kill tens of thousands of civilians, including thousands of children."
✗ Reconsider: Protest slogans, chants, or phrases that have been successfully characterized as threatening by opponents of accountability.
People care about their rep, their district, their money. Always localize the message: "Our representative took $X from the foreign lobby for the government of Israel and voted yes."
Every conversation should end with something concrete: look up your rep, share a poster, register to vote, show up in November. Don't leave people feeling hopeless.
Different communities respond to different framings. The core facts are the same. The angle changes. Here's how to adapt your message:
Houses of worship across multiple faiths have been damaged or destroyed with American weapons. These are documented and reported by mainstream media:
Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, and Jewish houses of worship. All hit with American weapons or weapons made possible by American support.
An impactful way to share this: "As people of faith, we're called to protect the vulnerable, not arm those who attack them. Churches and a synagogue have been bombed. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities have all been devastated. Your representative voted to keep sending the weapons that make this possible."
Veterans understand rules of engagement. They understand what it means when weapons are used against civilian targets. American-made weapons, paid for with tax dollars, have been used against hospitals and schools.
An impactful way to share this: "We swore an oath to defend. What's happening violates every standard we were taught. Your representative voted to send weapons with no conditions on how they're used."
More than 20,179 children have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 (data to 23 July 2026). Hospitals and schools have been destroyed. These are facts, not opinions.
An impactful way to share this: "More than 20,179 children have been killed with weapons your representative voted to send. When your children ask what you did, what will you say? You can't control what happens overseas. But you can control your vote."
Congress approved $26.38 billion in aid to the government of Israel in April 2024 alone (H.R. 8034, passed 366-58). That's on top of $3.8 billion sent every year as baseline aid.
An impactful way to share this: "$26 billion of your tax dollars to a foreign government, while American bridges crumble, schools are underfunded, and veterans wait months for care. Your representative chose a foreign lobby over your community."
Every generation faces a moral test. Previous generations asked "how did people let it happen?" Now this generation knows. The question is what they do about it.
An impactful way to share this: "This isn't ancient history. It's happening now, with weapons your taxes paid for. You can vote in November. It takes 10 minutes. And it matters more than you think."
The government takes your money and sends it to arm a foreign country: no strings attached, no accountability, no oversight. The foreign lobby for the government of Israel spent $126.9 million in the 2024 cycle alone to make sure it stays that way.
An impactful way to share this: "No oversight on how the weapons are used. No accountability when civilians die. Your representative didn't ask you. They just voted yes and took the foreign lobby money. This is a government accountability issue."
Real-world examples of how to navigate common objections and redirect to the facts. Tap an objection to open it.
They say
“I don't know enough about the history to have an opinion. It's really complicated.”
You say
“The history is complicated. But the question isn't about history. It's about right now. Your representative voted to send $26 billion in weapons to a government that has killed tens of thousands of civilians. That's a fact, not an opinion. Do you want your tax dollars doing that? If not, you can vote in November. That's what this is about.”
They say
“This sounds like it could be anti-Jewish to me.”
You say
“This is about a government's actions, not a religion or a people. We're talking about the government of Israel, just like we'd talk about any government whose military actions are funded by our tax dollars. Many Jewish Americans oppose these weapons transfers. Organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow have been leading this conversation. Criticizing a government's military policy isn't antisemitism. It's democracy.”
They say
“What about the attacks? Don't they have a right to defend themselves?”
You say
“Nobody is defending attacks on civilians, on any side. The question is: should the US Congress keep sending billions in weapons that have been used to kill tens of thousands of civilians, including thousands of children? Self-defense doesn't require destroying hospitals and schools. Our tax dollars, our choice. That's what the vote in November is about.”
They say
“Nothing I do makes a difference. The system is rigged.”
You say
“Mariannette Miller-Meeks won her 2020 House race by six votes. Six. Outside groups spent more than $9 million trying to defeat Thomas Massie, because they know every vote matters. Your vote matters. The lobby knows it. That's why they spend millions to make you think it doesn't.”
They say
“I don't really follow politics.”
You say
“You don't have to be political. You just have to care whether your tax money is being used to bomb hospitals and kill children. If that bothers you, and it bothers most people, then voting takes 10 minutes. Go to butwhatcanyoudo.org, type in your zip code, and it'll tell you exactly who your rep is and what they voted for. That's it. Ten minutes.”
Keep these numbers in your back pocket. Every one links to its primary source, so you can show the record rather than assert it.
Spent by the foreign lobby for the government of Israel in the 2024 election cycle
FEC filings ↗ · OpenSecrets ↗
Completed cycle; figure is final
The vote on H.R. 8034. Republicans 193–21, Democrats 173–37 — bipartisan support
Outside spending against Thomas Massie in his Republican primary. Published estimates range from $9M to $15M
FEC independent expenditures ↗
As of 24 July 2026
Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023
Tech For Palestine dataset ↗ · UN OCHA ↗
Updates automatically · data to 23 July 2026
Of those killed, children
Tech For Palestine dataset ↗
Updates automatically · data to 23 July 2026
Palestinians injured in Gaza since October 2023
Tech For Palestine dataset ↗
Updates automatically · data to 23 July 2026
On 21 November 2024 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, finding reasonable grounds to believe he bears criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder and persecution