Zoe Lofgren
D · U.S. House, CA-18 · Tier 3/4
Tier 3/4, between “Pro-Israel, critical” and “Critical / conditions aid”
Cosponsored Block the Bombs (Sep 10, 2025), was an original cosponsor of UNRWA restoration (Mar 2025) and the Food for Palestinian Children and Families in Gaza Act (Feb 2026), and voted Aye on the July 2026 Massie amendment to strip Israel’s military financing — though no statement of hers explaining either weapons act was found. She called on the parties to “negotiate a ceasefire” in January 2024 (“First, there must be a permanent, negotiated ceasefire”), and her later statements center Gaza’s civilians without self-defense language: “Famine is upon them. The Netanyahu government must act. Lack of action is unconscionable” (Mar 2024) and “Food should never be a weapon” (Jul 2025), within a two-state frame. Her 2023 statements also affirmed “the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself against Hamas,” and she voted for the April 2024 aid package (H.R.8034), H.Res.888 and the “river to the sea” resolution, against H.R.340, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, H.R.8369 and the 2026 anti-boycott bill, and did not vote on either ICC-sanctions bill. On the West Bank she signed the October 2024 letter urging President Biden to sanction Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir over incitement of settler violence, the September 2025 Schneider–Raskin letter to Netanyahu and his ministers opposing annexation (with most House Democrats) and the January 2026 Welch–Khanna letter urging Secretary Rubio to warn Israel off annexation bills and the E-1 settlement and to reimpose Biden-era West Bank sanctions; in March 2025 she signed the letter demanding answers on the detention of student activist Mahmoud Khalil. In June 2026 Lofgren signed a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, led by Reps. Becca Balint and Joaquin Castro, on Israel’s operations in southern Lebanon, saying Israel’s “targeted, mass destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure does not constitute Israeli self-defense” and asking that, if U.S.-origin arms were confirmed in those operations, the administration “stop arms transfers being used in these operations until these violations cease”; the letter also affirmed that “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Jewish Insider reported on Oct 23, 2026 that Lofgren was among about 30 signers of a draft letter, led by Rep. Ro Khanna and gathering signatures through Nov 6, urging the negotiators of the 2027 defense authorization bill to strip its U.S.-Israel defense-technology cooperation provisions; the draft, which cites Israel’s conduct in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, says “These are not the actions of a government whose defense establishment should be granted deeper access to American military technology, nor rewarded with U.S. defense contracts,” and asks that any framework kept “carry human rights conditions consistent with those governing other United States security assistance.”
A 3/4. Her one weapons bill is Block the Bombs, which she cosponsored on September 10, 2025 (45th of 82 cosponsors), and in 2024 she signed both letters urging President Biden to withhold offensive weapons: the April letter after the World Central Kitchen strike and the May letter urging him to “immediately withhold certain offensive military aid” ahead of an assault on Rafah. She also voted Aye on the July 2026 Massie amendment to strip Israel’s military financing, but no statement of hers explains either act; in June 2026 she also signed the Balint–Castro letter asking the administration to stop arms transfers used in Israel’s operations in southern Lebanon until the violations cease. She was an original cosponsor of UNRWA restoration and the Gaza children’s food bill, and her own words center Gaza’s civilians: “Famine is upon them. The Netanyahu government must act” (March 2024); “Food should never be a weapon” (July 2025). Against that, she voted for the April 2024 aid package, H.Res.888 and the “river to the sea” resolution, her 2023 statements affirmed “the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself against Hamas,” and she has not used the word genocide. Her votes against the Hamas-financing bill (H.R.340), the IHRA bill, the bill forcing the paused bomb shipment and the 2026 anti-boycott bill point the same way. Counter-case: 3, since the letter is a co-signed request that also affirms Israel’s right to defend itself, and neither the Massie Aye nor Block the Bombs is explained.
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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).