Scott Peters
D · U.S. House, CA-50 · Tier 2
Tier 2, “Mainstream pro-Israel”
A “staunch supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself” who voted the aid supplemental and to sanction the ICC over the Netanyahu/Gallant warrants, AIPAC-backed — but issued a headline statement (Jul 29, 2025) demanding immediate action to end the starvation of Palestinians and get aid to Gaza’s civilians. That statement names the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation among the bodies that should deliver the aid, alongside the UN and the Israeli government, and adds that “Hamas must not interfere with or weaponize the delivery of this aid” — concern for Palestinian civilians stated inside the Israeli frame. Not a ceasefire cosponsor. He was an original cosponsor of Jayapal’s H.Res.473 (June 4, 2025), calling for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. On Sep 24, 2026 Peters signed a 72-member House letter 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.” In January 2024 he signed the Smith–Manning letter, whose signers “thoroughly reject” South Africa’s “charge of genocide” against Israel. He also signed the April 2024 Gottheimer–Wilson letter urging Speaker Johnson to put the Senate’s national-security supplemental, with its aid to Israel, to “an immediate vote,” and Gottheimer’s July 2024 letter seeking a classified briefing on the Iranian government’s efforts “to promote and encourage anti-Israel protests.”
A flat Tier 2, resting on pronounced concern for Palestinian civilians. He has a reliable pro-Israel record — “staunch supporter” of Israel’s right to defend itself, aid-supplemental vote, ICC-sanctions Yea, AIPAC backing — with no leadership on the issue. What holds him at a flat 2 rather than 1/2 is his own emphatic Gaza-civilian consideration: a headline statement demanding immediate action to end the starvation of Palestinians and get aid in. He has also signed letters backing refugee-program access for Gazans who are close relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents (June 2024) and opposing West Bank annexation: the September 2025 letter of most House Democrats to Netanyahu’s government, and the January 2026 Welch–Khanna letter urging Secretary Rubio to warn Israel off the Knesset annexation bills and the E-1 settlement and to reimpose sanctions against those who commit violence in the West Bank. He has taken no step to limit weapons: he backs defensive aid, voted No on the July 2026 Massie amendment and cosponsors no conditioning bill.
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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).