NEW OP-ED: What It Means to Be Pro-Israel in 2026

A few weeks ago, my son asked me if “Zionist” was a bad word. He had seen it used with a negative connotation on social media and was genuinely confused. Why would something he associates with our family’s core beliefs be used as a slur?

I explained to him that because of political dynamics out of our control, there are increasingly negative views of Israel in some circles, but that doesn’t change our commitment to Israel and concern for the safety and security of the Israeli people. I explained how the Jewish connection to Israel and the U.S.-Israel partnership long predate this current political moment and expressed hope that they will persevere.

Zionists are committed to the principle of self-determination for Jewish people in Israel and support Israel’s security and future. Yet, in today’s political climate, the mere definition of Zionism and the connection between Americans and Israel can feel politically strained. A study released by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) found that only 37% of American Jews today identify as Zionists, while 86% believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. Zionism means different things to different people, and – when considering what it means to be “pro-Israel” in 2026 – we should focus less on labels and more on values.

The current Israeli government has shifted its policies related to Palestinians further away from the values of many American Jews. Our instinctive defense of Israel in the aftermath of the horrific attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 doesn’t nullify our concern about last year’s humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel’s recent de facto annexation of the West Bank, and ongoing settler violence targeting Palestinian communities. The Israeli government and the majority of Israelis no longer support an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something nearly a majority of Jewish Americans and Democrats still do.

As I wrote last year in What It Means to Be Pro-Israel in 2025, being pro-Israel today is not necessarily about sharing the political and policy agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just as American patriotism should not be equated with loyalty to or alignment with President Trump. Supporters of Israel can disagree with the policies of the Israeli government, just as we support America regardless of whether we agree with the policies of any particular White House. According to a poll last year, 92% of American Jewish voters believe that one can be both “pro-Israel” and be critical of the current Israeli government’s policies. This is a complex truth that most Jewish Americans hold, and it applies to our own patriotism and government as well.

Eight months before the 2026 midterms, amid the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, I’ve been asked where American Jewish voters can find their political home in the United States. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve endured a violent antisemitic attack on a synagogue that some have tried to justify as related to the actions of Israel, White House officials blaming Israel for the war in Iran, and some members of Congress supporting efforts to withhold weapons sales to Israel, all positions that JDCA opposes. Where on the political spectrum does this leave American Jews?

Politically, I think it leaves us largely where we’ve always been, which is supporting the party and candidates aligned with our values on the range of issues of importance to Jewish Americans, including – but not solely limited to – Israel. The vast majority of Democrats share our core commitment to Israel’s security and future as a Jewish and democratic state and stand with the Jewish community on every other issue of importance to Jewish voters. This includes defense of democracy and voting rights, access to economic opportunity and affordability, freedom and the pursuit of justice, and combating hatred and bigotry, including antisemitism in all its forms.

In 2026, not every Democrat perfectly aligns with this policy agenda, but there are zero Republicans who do. That’s why JDCA only supports Democrats, but we don’t support all Democrats. The leadership of the Democratic Party, a majority of Democrats in Congress, and a majority of Democratic candidates share our core values, including those relating to Israel. This has remained the case despite some vocal outliers in Congress, a growing number of far-left candidates, and some organizations and media outlets that unfairly ascribe any opposition to Netanyahu as “anti-Israel.” If Israelis can tolerate vigorous debate and protests of their government’s policies, pro-Israel Americans can have good-faith policy disagreements as well.

Democrats’ positions on Israel should be judged using the same standards we use to judge ourselves. If 92 percent of American Jews believe that one can be both pro-Israel and oppose Israeli government policies, then shouldn’t the same standard be applied to our elected officials? For example, if a Democrat supports Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state and supports the U.S.-Israel security relationship, but may oppose specific arms sales to send a message of disapproval to the Israeli government, are they enemies of Israel or the Jewish people? No. In fact, some Democrats taking these positions and votes, including some Jewish senators, have been and will continue to be supporters of Israel and American Jews.

On the other side of the aisle, there is a group whose isolationist worldview is predicated on a concept of “America First” that relegates Israel to last. This group of Republicans, including Tucker Carlson – who has visited the White House three times in recent weeks – is promulgating the dangerous conspiracy that Israel pushed us into war with Iran. The president himself, who has publicly clashed with Israel about its actions in Iran, is singularly responsible for his decision to take America to war. His inability to articulate the justification, objectives, or strategy for this war doesn’t absolve him of this responsibility. Blaming Israel for the war in Iran has only increased fear of rising antisemitism, for which Trump is at least partially responsible, given Trump’s record of echoing, hiring, pardoning, and embracing dangerous far-right extremists.

So while there is growing opposition to some policies of the Israeli government on both sides of the aisle, a fundamental distinction exists between the two political parties when it comes to Israel. Most Democrats’ clashes with the Israeli government stem from specific policy disagreements based on moral issues, such as protection of civilian life, the flow of humanitarian assistance, and maintaining prospects for a two-state solution. For Republicans like Carlson and some members of the Trump White House, it’s far more insidious, includes antisemitic conspiracy theories, and seeks to marginalize Israel and demote its role as a critical American ally and partner.

This is a difficult time for American Jews and others who care deeply, as I do, about Israel’s security and future, and are now tracking the incoming barrage of missiles from Iran, perpetually concerned about the safety of the Israeli people and security of Israel. The war with Iran has exacerbated this complex moment, given that Israelis are generally supportive of the war, while Americans, particularly Democrats, are strongly opposed. Trump has sent mixed messages on Iran, including lifting U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil, providing Iran with up to ten times as much revenue as the 2016 Iran nuclear deal.

Amid this growing geopolitical tumult and given my deep connection to Israel, it’s painful that my son asked me if “Zionist” was a bad word. I fear what it means for his generation of Jewish Americans and others exposed to the social media narrative of events in Israel. What I’m trying to impart to my son, and others, is proud identification as a “pro-Israel Democrat” and a commitment to core Jewish values, whether they relate to Israel or anything else. As we all consider what it means to be “pro-Israel” in 2026, including where it leaves American Jews politically, I encourage everyone to judge elected officials and candidates by the same values and standards to which we hold ourselves.

In solidarity,

Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America