Jimmy Panetta
D · U.S. House, CA-19 · Tier 2
Tier 2, “Mainstream pro-Israel”
One of AIPAC’s largest California recipients — $298,255 in the 2024 cycle, third-highest among California incumbents, and $226,773 in AIPAC direct-and-earmarked money so far in the 2026 cycle — and AIPAC- and DMFI-endorsed. He voted twice to sanction the ICC over the Netanyahu arrest warrants, voted for the April 2024 aid package, voted twice to defund UNRWA (including after the October 2025 ceasefire), signed the May 2024 Gottheimer–Hill letter urging that UNRWA staff tied to October 7 be designated as terrorists and sanctioned, and publicly pressed the Speaker to bring the Israel aid supplemental to the floor. In July 2024 he signed Gottheimer’s letter seeking a classified briefing on the Iranian government’s efforts “to promote and encourage anti-Israel protests.” “The United States must continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel in defense of its democracy” (Apr 2024, on Iran’s attacks). On Sep 1, 2026 Panetta cosponsored the Jewish American Security Act (H.R.9211), an antisemitism bill whose findings say antisemitism includes attacking or demonizing Jews over their “real or perceived connection to, affiliation with, or support for, the State of Israel as a Jewish state,” and he joined the Mfume–Vindman letter of Sep 24 urging Netanyahu to contain settler violence in the West Bank, prosecute attacks on Palestinians and “halt further settlement approvals,” written “out of concern for Israel’s long-term security as well as for the safety of Palestinians.” On Oct 17, 2026 he condemned the previous day’s settler attacks on Palestinian civilians and a Washington Post photographer: “Prime Minister Netanyahu must take immediate action to stop this violence, protect Palestinian communities, and ensure those responsible are investigated and held accountable.” In July 2025 he called the bloodshed at Gaza aid sites “wrongful and unacceptable” and urged a deal that would “stop the violence”; in August 2025 he co-led a veterans’ letter telling Israel it has “a responsibility and moral obligation to actively prevent harm to civilians, particularly children,” while backing its right to defend itself; and in October 2025 he led a letter asking Secretary Rubio and Israeli officials to expedite visas for Palestinians stuck in Gaza. He cosponsored the West Bank Violence Prevention Act (H.R.3045), which would sanction perpetrators of settler violence in the West Bank and officials connected to it, in March 2026. In January 2024 he signed the Smith–Manning letter, whose signers “thoroughly reject” South Africa’s “charge of genocide” against Israel.
A 2, with a firmly pro-Israel voting record. He voted for the April 2024 aid package, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, both ICC-sanctions bills and the September 2026 anti-boycott bill, which most Democrats opposed, and against the July 2026 Massie amendment; in June 2026 he introduced the Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act, a Pentagon initiative to deepen U.S. defense cooperation with the accords’ countries, Israel among them. But he has pressed for Gaza’s civilians in his own words: in July 2025 he called the bloodshed at Gaza aid sites “wrongful and unacceptable” and urged a deal that would “stop the violence,” and in October 2025 he led a letter asking Secretary Rubio and Israeli officials to expedite visas for Palestinians stuck in Gaza. He also signed the August 2025 Pressley–Pettersen letter urging Secretary Rubio to demand that Israel’s government “immediately facilitate a massive surge of humanitarian aid” into Gaza, infant formula in particular; the September 2025 letter in which most House Democrats urged Netanyahu’s government to refrain from annexing West Bank territory; both Umm al-Kheir letters to Netanyahu; and the September 2026 letter on settler violence. Counter-case for 1: the Abraham Accords bill, and other Gaza statements of his, including an August 2025 veterans’ letter he co-led, that pair concern with Israel’s right to defend itself.
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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).