Rebecca Cooke, the leading Democratic challenger to Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) in a  Wisconsin swing congressional district, said at a recent campaign event that she supports a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel.

“I don’t think that taxpayer dollars should be going to fund the killing of children. Period,” Cooke said in response to an audience question, in a video obtained by Jewish Insider. “I think this is a moral issue. The other thing that I’ll say is that I don’t think that we should send more military aid to the Netanyahu government invasion.”

Asked about those comments, Cooke insisted to JI that she supports Israel’s self-defense.

“My record is clear, I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Cooke said in a statement. “I’ve expressed my deep concerns about the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, and I’m thrilled that a peace agreement has been reached and that the hostages will be able to return home.”

During the event, Cooke also rejected backing from AIPAC, while defending support she has received from J Street.

“I’ve never taken any money from AIPAC. Derrick Van Orden is the only AIPAC-endorsed candidate in this race,” Cooke said. “J Street is an organization that has always been for a two-state solution. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is endorsed by J Street. Congressman [Mark] Pocan (D-WI) is endorsed by J Street.”

J Street has supported efforts, led by Sanders, to cut off some arms transfers to Israel, as well as an effort to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Pocan, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in the House, was an original cosponsor of legislation backing sweeping new conditions on U.S. aid to Israel and voted against supplemental aid to the Jewish state last year.

Cooke also said that, if she lived in New York City, she would be voting for far-left Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and criticized Democratic officials who have failed to back him after the primary.

“You’re looking at people sitting on the sidelines and not unifying around who is the clear winner of that primary, and it’s very frustrating,” Cooke said.

Cooke ran against Van Orden in 2024 and lost by less than three points.