Quinnipiac Poll, Aug 27, 2025:
- 75% of Democrats oppose sending military aid to Israel
- 77% of Democrats think Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
How is it that Rep. Jimmy Panetta maintains his record of unconditional support for arms to Israel when his constituents have such different convictions?
Background
Jimmy Panetta’s first press release as a member of Congress announced that he had voted for House Resolution 11, which called UN Security Council Resolution 2334 “one-sided and anti-Israel”. UN Resolution 2334 passed the UN Security Council on a 14-0 vote, with the US abstaining (thereby allowing it to pass). The resolution “Reiterates its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
President Obama’s Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, explained “the United States’ long-standing position that Israeli settlement activity in territories occupied in 1967 undermines Israel’s security, harms the viability of a negotiated two-state outcome, and erodes prospects for peace and stability in the region. Today, the Security Council reaffirmed its established consensus that settlements have no legal validity. The United States has been sending the message that the settlements must stop – privately and publicly – for nearly five decades, through the administrations of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Barack Obama.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the UN resolution.
Panetta’s position criticizing the UN stance against settlements was inconsistent with US policy. Can this be explained by his receipt of contributions from the pro-Netanyahu lobby, AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)? KQED reports that in the 2024 election cycle, Panetta was the largest recipient of AIPAC contributions to members of Congress from Northern and Central California. However, prior to 2023, Panetta received only $9000 from AIPAC. Evidently Panetta aligned himself with Netanyahu’s pro-settlement agenda prior to receiving significant funds from AIPAC.