David Kustoff
R · U.S. House, TN-8 · Tier 1
Tier 1, “Firmly pro-Israel”
Chairman of the House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group (first meeting Feb 2024) and a prolific author of Israel legislation: he sponsored H.Res.894 (Nov 2023, with Max Miller), which states that anti-Zionism is antisemitism; co-introduced with Ronny Jackson a February 2024 resolution condemning the International Court of Justice's provisional measures and South Africa “for accusing Israel of committing and inciting genocide”; and wrote the bill to revoke tax-exempt status from nonprofits found to have supported terrorist groups “such as Hamas,” which passed the House 382–11 in April 2024 and again inside H.R.9495 (219–184, Nov 2024), and which he reintroduced in December 2025. Addressing the Knesset in July 2024 he said “In your fight to eradicate Hamas and any other genocidal extremist group that threatens your way of life, America is with you” and “This is OUR fight”; his campaign site says “We must always support Israel.” He voted for every tracked Israel measure he was present for — the Israel-only supplementals and the April 2024 package, the May 2024 bill to force the paused bomb shipment, the June 2024 ICC-sanctions bill, the June 2024 amendment barring use of Gaza Health Ministry casualty figures and the September 2026 college anti-boycott bill — and against the 2025 Greene and 2026 Massie cuts; he missed the January 2025 ICC-sanctions vote. In January 2024 he signed the Smith–Manning letter, whose signers “thoroughly reject” South Africa’s “charge of genocide” against Israel.
A 1. He chairs the House's formal friendship group with the Knesset, wrote the anti-Zionism-equals-antisemitism resolution and the tax bill aimed at nonprofits accused of supporting Hamas, and co-led the resolution denouncing South Africa's genocide case at the ICJ — authored legislation and sustained leadership, not just votes. No statement of concern for Gaza's civilians during the genocide was found; his statements speak of eradicating Hamas and of Israel's right to defend herself.
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elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).