Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX)’s candidacy against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for the Senate pits two pro-Israel lawmakers against each other, with deeply different styles: Cruz is one of the most outspoken pro-Israel members of the Senate, while Allred has straddled the ideological line between establishment pro-Israel groups such as AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel and left-wing allies like J Street. 

Allred hails from a suburban district just outside of Dallas with a sizable Jewish population. Since taking office, he has co-sponsored a range of pro-Israel legislation — supporting the Abraham Accords, promoting greater U.S.-Israel cooperation in a range of fields, providing funding for Israeli-Palestinian peace-building ventures and opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. 

During the 2021 flareup of violence between Israel and terror groups in Gaza, Allred joined a letter urging the administration to push for a ceasefire. He also signed onto a letter warning that Israel’s judicial reform efforts could precipitate a “major conflict” in the Middle East and urging the administration to intervene.

In a 2017 policy paper shared by the North Texas Jewish Democratic Council, Allred pledged to work to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“The alliance between the United States and Israel is the foundation of our Mideast policy and must remain so. But more importantly, our country’s commitment to Israel is based on our shared values and the lessons of history,” he said. “Israel is a thriving democracy in a region filled with autocracies and violent terrorist groups. There must always be a safe haven for the Jewish people where they can live in peace and freedom.”

J Street has already announced its support for Allred’s Senate campaign. The Texas congressman, a former NFL player, traveled to Israel with J Street earlier this year, and visited with AIPAC during his first term in office.
Cruz, meanwhile, has defined himself as a prominent pro-Israel voice, and has been outspoken on a range of Middle East policy issues, staking out conservative ground. He pushed back against measures supporting a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, and sought to claim credit for influencing the Trump administration to withdraw from the Iran deal and relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem — steps that Cruz has said were critical on the path toward the Abraham Accords.