Democrat John Cappello, an Air Force veteran, brings experience as a senior U.S. military official in Israel to the crowded race to take on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) in New York’s 17th Congressional District.

But, entering the race later than most other competitors and lagging behind in fundraising, he has significant ground to make up before the June primary.

Cappello spent six years working as a military official in the U.S. Embassy in Israel, from 2010- 2016, first as the Air Force attache and later on missile-defense issues. After his time in the military, Cappello was tapped as a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, before going on to found his own foreign policy-focused groups.

“I always understood, being a student of history and of politics, that the United States’ relationship with Israel was a very unique one and a very close one,” Cappello said in an interview with Jewish Insider. “But to be able to be there to see it and to be part of both nurturing it and building it was an honor.”

During his first three years at the embassy, Cappello worked under then-U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, helping to set up and escort delegations of American military officials and business leaders; in his second three years, he helped run the Missile Defense Agency liaison office.

While in Israel, he also took classes in Middle East Studies at Tel Aviv University.

He said he was on the ground in a period in which “the challenges towards Israel were morphing and were changing dramatically” — including an increase in rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.

Cappello said that the U.S. and the world need to stop “kicking the can” on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and that the current cycle of “mow[ing] the grass” with a new war every few years is not a viable long-term solution for Israel’s prosperity.

But he also acknowledged the concerns in Israel about trying to reach peace, after previous efforts have gone unreciprocated.

“It’s complex because the Israelis see it that they’ve continually extended a hand, continually tried to compromise,” Cappello said. “How many times do your neighbors attack you, you defeat them, and then you’re still expected to somehow compromise and give back?”

But he said that, with U.S. support, Israel has “never been more powerful” and that there is “room for them to accept risk,” but only with a guarantee that the U.S. and the Western world have its back.

He said moving toward peace will require strong leadership on all sides — including an end to Palestinian incitement and hatred against Jews and Israel — and backing from the U.S., the Europeans and the Arab states.

He added that the events of and since Oct. 7, 2023, while tragic, have “opened a door, in a way,” with Hamas and Hezbollah weakened, the fall of the Syrian regime and the weakening of the Iranian regime.

“I think the United States needs to play a leadership role, and an aggressive leadership role — not about building hotel complexes and luxury resorts in Gaza, but actually working towards development that will provide the Palestinians the opportunity to live in partnership with their neighbors, because all of the countries in that region can benefit from what the Israelis have done,” Cappello argued.

Cappello rejected the idea of conditioning U.S. aid to Israel and said that, while Israel is “an imperfect democracy” and deserving of criticism for some of the way it handled the war in Gaza,  “it is a democracy, it is an important partner.”

“The Israelis have legitimate concerns to defeat an enemy that’s bent on destroying it. They also have a responsibility … to do everything they can to limit civilian casualties,” Cappello said.

He said the U.S. should “use our partnership, our leverage, in a way that allows Israel to defend itself, but to do so in a manner that fits the democratic values it espouses.” He said that cutting off weapons sales would not reduce conflict because Israel would still need to find ways to defend itself.

He emphasized that Israel does have stringent targeting procedures to limit civilian casualties and that the war in Gaza was a pursuit of “legitimate military goals” but these are complicated by Hamas militants intermingling with civilians.

“The Israelis have legitimate concerns to defeat an enemy that’s bent on destroying it. They also have a responsibility … to do everything they can to limit civilian casualties,” he said.

Cappello said that the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program sent an important message in punishing the regime for its ballistic missile strikes on Israel and set back nuclear efforts, but did not fulfill the administration’s initial claims of fully obliterating the nuclear program.

“The lack of seriousness and planning and strategic foresight, I think, is a real problem,” he said.

Cappello also said that it would be “irresponsible” if the U.S. repeatedly promised protesters in Iran that help was on the way, “unless we are really going to back it up.” But he said that any further strikes on Iran need to be based on specific goals and objectives that can be achieved.

“I’ve talked to a lot of young people, and this topic has come up a couple of times, about Israel, support for Israel. Smart, intelligent young people that have graduated from university — but they have this misguided notion because they’re being fed information. They see it on their feed, this is what they read,” Cappello said.

“What is the objective here? I don’t know — and so in the absence of knowing, I’m reticent to use military force because it has other ramifications, not the least of which is putting American service members in harm’s way,” he continued. He said other nonmilitary responses include continued and increased sanctions targeting Iranian officials.

He tied the antisemitism crisis in the United States to a failure of leadership — with leaders failing to call out antisemitism and distortions of history and indulging in antisemitic narratives themselves. He said that education about antisemitism is also critical.

“I’ve talked to a lot of young people, and this topic has come up a couple of times, about Israel, support for Israel. Smart, intelligent young people that have graduated from university — but they have this misguided notion because they’re being fed information. They see it on their feed, this is what they read,” Cappello said.

Asked about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s record, he said that he “understand[s] the concerns and he has a responsibility to address the things that he said in the past,” adding that he wants to see Mamdani admit mistakes he has made and change.

“Just because the voters voted [for] him doesn’t mean we accept racism or antisemitism or any of those, but, I think he is a work in progress, and let’s see,” Cappello said. “He should be held accountable. He has a responsibility to continue. He said he’s ‘the mayor for everyone’ … now he’s got to step up.”

Facing a wide field of competitors in the Democratic primary, Cappello argued that his service to the country and experience dealing with national and international challenges would make him a strong leader for the district.

But he also acknowledged that he entered the race later than most other candidates, and that he needs to work to introduce himself to voters. He argued that most voters aren’t paying attention to the race yet, so there is still plenty of time for him to make that outreach.

“The thing that keeps me going, despite the crazy local politics and the disgusting amount of money we have to raise, is when I talk to people, people do want change,” Cappello said. “They want to believe that we can do politics differently.”

Cappello has raised $53,000 since entering the race and closed out 2025 with just $20,000 on hand, making his total fundraising haul less than one-fifth of the next closest competitor’s. But several others closed out the quarter with similarly depleted war chests.

For Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), the U.S.-Israel military relationship is crucial to pushing the boundaries of defensive technological development, keeping Americans safe, staying ahead of global adversaries and even providing advancements in sectors far removed from the battlefield.

Nunn is a rising national security voice on Capitol Hill, chairing the national security task force of the Republican Study Committee, is an Air Force veteran with experience in the Middle East and is also a longtime former intelligence officer. He hails from a competitive district in southwest Iowa, which includes much of Des Moines and stretches to the state’s southern border.

“We know that not only is Israel our best military partner for the region, it is the best stabilizing force,” Nunn, who led a pair of successful amendments in last week’s National Defense Authorization Act markup on the House floor aimed at improving U.S.-Israel military cooperation, told Jewish Insider in a recent interview. “Not only is Israel a force for good in the region, it’s one of our best innovative partners out here, and national defense begins with a tech and human capability that’s able to execute on it. And that really is funded through democracies that allow this type of innovation to take place.”

One of Nunn’s amendments, cosponsored by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Davis (D-NC), would establish a Defense Innovation Unit field office in Israel. 

The DIU, which has offices throughout the U.S. and is headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a relatively new Pentagon body aimed at allowing the military to move more quickly to adopt emerging commercial and dual-use technologies — a “fast-track for a largely challenged defense apparatus … to onboard new technologies more quickly,” Nunn explained.

The tech sector, he said, starts on the West Coast, in Silicon Valley, and extends to “the East Coast, which in my mind is Tel Aviv.”

“I think that we have seen some of the best innovations coming out of Israel. Part of it is need, part of it is just the innovative spirit that Israel has brought to the fight on this,” he continued. “How do we onboard this so that the best technologies — and, candidly, the best tactics, techniques and procedures that Israel is literally field testing right now — can be replicated so that we help defend the men and women in uniform?”

He said that such efforts will save U.S. taxpayer money, help the U.S. keep ahead of its key adversary in Beijing and even provide advances in civilian technology. Precision-guidance weapon capabilities that Israel is developing can also be applied in precision agriculture techniques in Iowa, Nunn said.

Nunn’s other amendment, cosponsored by Davis, would require the Pentagon to review and report to Congress on progress made toward an integrated air and missile defense infrastructure in the Middle East, strategies and options for expanding those efforts and lessons learned from recent attacks throughout the region. Both amendments were incorporated into larger packages of amendments and passed by voice votes.

Of all the U.S.’ global allies, Nunn said, Israel is providing the most practical proving ground for new defensive technologies.

“It’s one thing to be able to do drills, to do innovation, to come up with new technologies. It’s another thing to be able to have to deploy them in the field … find out how they work and then be able to change your … tactics and employment in real time,” Nunn said. “That makes us much safer than just having the ideal weapons system on the shelf, to know how it’s going to work in battle and how our men and women in uniform can be best protected by it.”

Nunn noted that he was tied for the record of most amendments, nine in total, secured in the 2026 NDAA on the House floor.

Asked more broadly about the push from some, on both sides of the aisle, for the U.S. to reduce its focus and posture abroad, Nunn argued that relationships like the one with Israel pay dividends for the U.S.

“Peace through strength matters, and a peaceful Middle East is a lower cost to the American taxpayer,” Nunn said. “At the same time, it’s Israel who took out Iran’s missile defense systems. It’s Israel who’s provided the intelligence that has allowed us to not only save money, but save lives here on the home front. It’s Israel and the Mossad and IDF, who have taken out Iranian proxy groups, whether they be Houthi rebels, Hamas or Hezbollah, that have sent death squads after great leaders here in the United States.”

Efforts like the amendments he led, Nunn said, create American jobs, save the U.S. money, create technologies that can be used in both military and civilian applications and reduce the burden on the U.S.’ own forces.

“The United States is getting the best possible return when we partner with allies,” Nunn said, a position on which he said President Donald Trump and most members of Congress should be able to agree.

“Peace through strength matters, and a peaceful Middle East is a lower cost to the American taxpayer,” Nunn said. “At the same time, it’s Israel who took out Iran’s missile defense systems. It’s Israel who’s provided the intelligence that has allowed us to not only save money, but save lives here on the home front. It’s Israel and the Mossad and IDF, who have taken out Iranian proxy groups, whether they be Houthi rebels, Hamas or Hezbollah, that have sent death squads after great leaders here in the United States.”

Nunn noted that he was in the region, visiting Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the eve of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear program in June.

He said that the U.S. strikes would not have seen the same level of success without Israel “doing all of the prep work on the front end,” and that the U.S. bombings sent a strong message to Iran and other adversaries.

“Clearly, President Trump is in a different league of presidents when it comes to negotiation,” Nunn said. “He’ll offer you peace. If you say no to it, he’s prepared to make sure that you can no longer be a threat to the world. I think that that sends a very important message to the next iteration of negotiations here with Iran. … The president has emboldened our allies, but also sent a very clear message to Iran that this is where it ends.”

“That’s a message that saves lives, saves taxpayer dollars and advances us when we look at emerging threats, whether they be in Moscow, Pyongyang and certainly Beijing,” Nunn continued. “The amount of investment that we have to make on the front end is much lower because we have those partnerships that amplify our ability, than if we were to have to do this all on our own, whether it’s domestically or internationally.”

Asked about the path forward with Iran, Nunn said that Trump’s approach to the conflict is distinctly different than that of past presidents. He said he was told by an Arab leader the day before the American strike on the Fordow nuclear facility that the Iranians had told that Arab leader that they believed they would secure further concessions from the U.S. by dragging out talks.

“Clearly, President Trump is in a different league of presidents when it comes to negotiation,” Nunn said. “He’ll offer you peace. If you say no to it, he’s prepared to make sure that you can no longer be a threat to the world. I think that that sends a very important message to the next iteration of negotiations here with Iran. … The president has emboldened our allies, but also sent a very clear message to Iran that this is where it ends.”

Nunn said that Iran now “has the opportunity” to cease its malign activities — funding for terrorism, weapons sales and development of nuclear and conventional weapons — and turn toward peace and collaboration with Israel and the United States.

The Iowan is also leading a bill to codify and build upon the maximum-pressure sanctions on Iran and ensure the enforcement of U.S. oil sanctions, describing it as a companion to the administration’s military strikes. He said the broad Republican support for the effort shows the conservative support for holding Iran accountable, for backing Israel and for providing relief to the Iranian people.

Nunn said he’s personally flown missions out of the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar — the largest U.S. airbase in the Middle East — and that he agrees with the stance Trump took on the Israeli strike on Hamas officials in that country.

“In many ways there’s a shared concern here that Iran is the real radical, unhinged aggressor in the region, and there’s greater security by standing up not to a fellow Islamic state, but a state that is truly an autocrat and intends to threaten the rest of the world,” Nunn said.

“Qatar has been a great ally to us for decades now,” Nunn said. “They are a recognized partner in this. At the same time, there are bad actors everywhere. And as the president highlighted, I fully endorse — when Hamas is operating knowingly or unknowingly in a region — we’ve got to be able to decapitate that threat so it can’t reconstitute.”

He said he wants to see the U.S., Israel and the U.S.’ Arab partners pull closer together to counter threats from Hamas and other adversaries through the Abraham Accords and similar mechanisms.

“In an ideal situation, we never would have had these strikes to take place in the first place. We would have been able to share the intelligence and we would have eliminated this Hamas node working together,” Nunn said. “That’s the vision where I want to get to.”

The Abraham Accords, Nunn said, are helping to create a pathway for the region that Arab leaders remain excited about, based on recent visits to the region. He added that while many Arab countries’ populations remain hostile toward Israel, the tenor of anti-Israel public discourse has improved.

“In many ways there’s a shared concern here that Iran is the real radical, unhinged aggressor in the region, and there’s greater security by standing up not to a fellow Islamic state, but a state that is truly an autocrat and intends to threaten the rest of the world,” Nunn said.