A majority of the Democratic candidates running in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, a key swing seat that Democrats hope to flip in November, said at a candidate forum hosted by the Nebraska Young Democrats last week that they would reject support from pro-Israel groups, according to video of the event obtained by Jewish Insider.

The incumbent, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is retiring at the end of his current term, is an outspoken supporter of Israel and has also been active in combating antisemitism as a co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. Bacon, a moderate, has repeatedly managed to fend off Democratic challengers in recent elections, but the Cook Political Report rates the seat as “Lean Democratic.”

Asked whether they would accept support from AIPAC or Democratic Majority for Israel, state Sen. John Cavanaugh committed to not taking any funding from either group, while activist Denise Powell said that she would not accept any funding from any special interest groups.

Navy veteran Kishla Askins offered a less definitive answer, saying she is “right now … not taking” funding from J Street, AIPAC or DMFI, while also noting that she had been to Israel and served alongside the IDF while she was in the military and understands how dangerous the region is.

“For me, every decision I make is about values and the rule of law, those two things. I do not align myself with anyone that breaks the law, nor aligns with Nebraskan values,” she said, describing the situation in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis. “Hamas is a terrorist group, and we need to all align around ridding this world of terrorism. Hamas is a terrorist group funded by Iran.”

She said she would “make decisions based on values and the rule of law.”

James Leuschen, a longtime former senior staffer for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) — a staunch Israel supporter who previously served in House Democratic leadership — was the only candidate to definitively say he would not commit to turning down support from the groups.

“Part of the reason why is I think that we, as Democrats, need to not unilaterally disarm when it comes to elections with Republicans that would be willing to do basically anything to win, right?” Leuschen explained. “The idea that we can win elections by pushing people away from us is, I think, wrongheaded, right? I think we need to be able to talk to folks in all communities. We need to be able to hear the concerns of folks who feel like, you know, maybe the things that happened on Oct. 7 weren’t quite the best thing in the world.”

He said that he wants to see the ceasefire agreement in Gaza hold, to pursue a two-state solution and to ensure that both Hamas and Israel abide by the terms of the deal reached last October.

“But at the same time, I think we have to acknowledge that the incident, the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, were a tragedy in themselves and the situation we find ourselves in today — while not ideal — is progress toward that lasting peace and that two-state solution that I think we’re all going to get to,” he said. “It can’t be accomplished with coercion; it has to happen with both sides to get there on their own.”

Another prominent candidate, Douglas County district court clerk Crystal Rhoades, did not attend the forum. Rhoades has publicly expressed staunch support for Israel, saying in an op-ed published in The Jewish Press in Omaha, “no one will fight harder to strengthen the U.S.–Israel relationship than I will. My support for Israel isn’t political, it’s moral. It’s grounded in my values and in what I’ve seen firsthand about the importance of dignity, freedom and memory.”

In response to a later question, Leuschen also said he would have voted for a recent State Department funding package that included $3.3 billion in aid to Israel, maintained a block on funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and contained provisions aimed at blocking Palestinian actions against Israel at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

Askins and Cavanaugh both said they couldn’t weigh in on the legislation without having fully analyzed what was in it, though Cavanaugh added that he “would not be in support of defunding refugee services.”

Powell said that she hadn’t reviewed the bill but said that she was “a big believer that the U.S. needs to be doing more to support the Palestinian people in this moment. So I’m not sure what it all is in there. I’d love to read it. I don’t — from what you have said, it doesn’t feel like something I’d be super comfortable voting on. But I don’t have all the details on the bill.”

In a follow-up statement shared with Jewish Insider, Powell said that her answer at the forum did not fully capture her stance on the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“I have always unequivocally supported Israel’s right to exist and its right to defend itself. The question that was asked at a recent forum centered around a bill that would strip humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Powell said. 

“My position is clear: I fully support providing aid to Israel and believe that we should ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need,” the statement continued. “In order for the region to rebuild, it is imperative that we center our efforts around a two-state solution that both ensures Israel’s security and gives the Palestinian people the resources they need to reestablish their lives.”

Previously, Cavanaugh — who leads in polling of the race and hails from an established political dynasty in the state — has received pushback from pro-Israel voters for being one of 10 state senators who declined to sign onto a resolution supporting Israel and condemning Hamas on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He’s endorsed by progressive lawmakers including Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), as well as the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC.