Views on Israel of U.S. Presidential Candidates 2020:
Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Ann Warren* (née Herring) was born on June 22, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the fourth child of middle-class parents Pauline (née Reed, 1912–1995) and Donald Jones Herring (1911–1997). Warren has described her family as teetering “on the ragged edge of the middle class” and “kind of hanging on at the edges by our fingernails.” She had three older brothers and was raised Methodist.

Warren lived in Norman until she was 11 years old, when the family moved to Oklahoma City. When she was 12, her father, a salesman at Montgomery Ward, had a heart attack, which led to many medical bills as well as a pay cut because he could not do his previous work. He later worked as a custodian for an apartment building. Eventually, the family’s car was repossessed because they failed to make loan payments. To help the family finances, her mother found work in the catalog order department at Sears. When she was 13, Warren started waiting tables at her aunt’s restaurant.

Warren became a star member of the debate team at Northwest Classen High School and won the state high school debating championship. She also won a debate scholarship to George Washington University at the age of 16. She initially aspired to be a teacher, but left GW after two years in 1968 when she was 19 to marry Jim Warren, whom she met in high school.

Warren and her husband moved to Houston, where he was employed by IBM. She enrolled in the University of Houston and graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in speech pathology and audiology.

The Warrens moved to New Jersey when Jim received a job transfer. She soon became pregnant and decided to remain at home to care for their daughter. After the child turned two, Warren enrolled in Rutgers Law School at Rutgers University–Newark. Shortly before graduating in 1976, Warren became pregnant with their second child. She received her J.D. and passed the bar examination.

The couple divorced in 1978. Two years later, Warren married Bruce H. Mann, a law professor, but kept her first husband’s surname.

During law school, Warren worked as a summer associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. After she received her J.D. and passed the bar examination, she decided to perform legal services from home, writing wills and doing real estate closings. In the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Warren taught law at several American universities while researching issues related to bankruptcy and middle-class personal finance. She became involved with public work in bankruptcy regulation and consumer protection in the mid-1990s.

Warren began her academic career as a lecturer at Rutgers University, Newark School of Law (1977–78). She then moved to the University of Houston Law Center (1978–83), where she became an associate dean in 1980 and obtained tenure in 1981. She taught at the University of Texas School of Law as visiting associate professor in 1981, and returned as a full professor two years later (staying from 1983 to 1987). She was also a visiting professor at the University of Michigan in 1985 and a research associate at the Population Research Center of the University of Texas at Austin in 1983–87. During this period Warren also taught Sunday school.

Early in her career Warren became a proponent of on-the-ground research into how people respond to laws. Her work analyzing court records and interviewing judges, lawyers, and debtors, established her as a leading expert in the field of bankruptcy law.

Warren joined the University of Pennsylvania Law School as a full professor in 1987 and obtained an endowed chair in 1990, becoming the William A. Schnader Professor of Commercial Law. In 1992, she taught for a year at Harvard Law School as Robert Braucher Visiting Professor of Commercial Law. In 1995, Warren left Penn to become Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.

From 2006 to 2010 Warren was a member of the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion. She also served as a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference, an independent organization that advises the U.S. Congress on bankruptcy law, is a former vice president of the American Law Institute and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2012, Warren was elected to the Senate in Massachusetts. She is the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. She was reelected in 2016.

Committee assignments:

Committee on Armed Services
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Special Committee on Aging

In 2014, Warren visited Israel.

She is the author of three books and coauthor of six: As We Forgive Our Debtors: Bankruptcy and Consumer Credit in America (1989), The Fragile Middle Class: Americans in Debt (2001) with Teresa A. Sullivan and Jay Westbrook, The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Parents are Going Broke (2004) with Amelia Warren Tyagi, All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan (2006) with Warren Tyagi, Casenote Legal Briefs: Commercial Law (2006) with Lynn M. LoPucki, Daniel Keating, Ronald Mann, and Normal Goldenberg, The Law of Debtors and Creditors: Text, Cases, and Problems, 6th edition (2008) with Westbrook, Chapter 11: Reorganizing American Businesses: Essentials (2008), Secured Credit: A Systems Approach (2008) with Lynn M. LoPucki, A Fighting Chance (2014), and This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America’s Middle Class (2017).

On February 9, 2019, Warren announced her candidacy for president in the 2020 election. Warren was an early front-runner with an extensive list of policy proposals and strong debate performances, but she was competing for many of the same voters as Bernie Sanders, who proved to have far greater support. Warren wound up a disappointing third in the Iowa caucuses, slid to fourth in New Hampshire and Nevada, and to fifth in South Carolina. On Super Tuesday, she had an embarrassing third-place finish in the primary of her home state, Massachusetts, and won only a handful of delegates. On March 5, 2020, she announced the end of her campaign but did not endorse any of her rivals.

Foreign Policy Advisers

Ganesh Sitaraman is a Vanderbilt law professor.

Sasha Baker, former deputy chief of staff to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter

Ilan Goldenberg, former chief of staff to the Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations in the Obama State Department. 

Jarrett Blanc, former coordinator for the Iran nuclear implementation at the State Department and acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under President Barack Obama.

Alexandra Bell, former senior adviser to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

Brittany Brown, former acting senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.

Hady Amr, former deputy special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Mike Fuchs, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

Laurel Miller, former acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Loren DeJonge Schulman, senior adviser to national security adviser Susan Rice

Robert Ford, former U.S. ambassador to Syria.

Dave Rank, former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy to China. 

Anti-Semitism

• “As president, I’ll improve data collection on bias-motivated crimes and prioritize their investigation and prosecution. I’ll expand background checks and the use of extreme risk protection orders to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to provoke fear in Jewish communities. I’ll promote anti-bias education — including about manifestations of anti-Semitism and about the Holocaust — as an educational priority, and I’ll establish a commission to address incitement to violence on the Internet in a manner consistent with freedom of expression. I’ll work with state and local law enforcement to ensure that Jewish institutions and neighborhoods are safe and free from fear, and I’ll work with local community leaders to build trust and combat hate.”

  “Criticism that singles out Israel as uniquely worthy of censure can often be anti-Semitic in intent. At the same time, branding all criticism of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic has a chilling effect on our public discourse and makes it harder to achieve a peaceful solution between Israelis and Palestinians. We can speak out against the far-right-wing policies of the Netanyahu government, like annexation and settlements, while supporting Israel. What I don’t accept is when people on either side of the aisle criticize or commend Israel in terms that echo long-standing slanders against the Jewish people. Our leaders have a responsibility not to do that. And threats of violence — from any side — are never acceptable.” (JTA, February 26, 2020)

• “I do not support the boycott, but I think outlawing protected free speech activity violates the Constitution.” (New York Times, December 2019)

• “Let’s be clear, anti-Semitism has no place in democracy.” (Comments to American Jewish Committee, June 3, 2019)

• Re three arson attacks in one week in suburbs outside of Boston in May 2019, Warrant tweeted: “These actions are meant to inspire fear in places of worship and joy. But we won’t let that happen. By coming together to stand against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, our communities will only grow stronger.” (@SenWarren, May 17, 2019)

• Re controversy of anti-Semitic remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar: “We have a moral duty to combat hateful ideologies in our own country and around the world—and that includes both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” she wrote. “In a democracy, we can and should have an open, respectful debate about the Middle East that focuses on policy. Branding criticism of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic has a chilling effect on our public discourse and makes it harder to achieve a peaceful solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Threats of violence — like those made against Rep. Omar — are never acceptable.” (Forward, March 7, 2019)
   
• Warren was one of 22 Democrats who voted against the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 (76 senators voted aye) a bill that authorizes state and local governments to demand that contractors declare they do not support boycotts of Israel or its settlements in the West Bank. She said, “I oppose the boycott. But I think penalizing free speech activity violates our Constitution, so I oppose this bill.” (JTA, February 8, 2019)

Israel

• “I believe in the worth and value of every Israeli and every Palestinian. And I believe that the way we respect all parties is through a two-state solution — an outcome that’s good for U.S. interests, good for Israel’s security and its future, and good for Palestinian rights, dignity and self-determination. To achieve this, there must be an end to the Israeli occupation and the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip living alongside Israel.”

  “Unfortunately, the Trump administration’s approach has made a two-state solution harder to achieve. His one-sided ‘peace plan’ is a rubber stamp for annexation and offers no chance for a real Palestinian state. As president, I’ll take immediate steps to fix the damage and reestablish America’s role as a credible mediator.”

  “I will welcome the Palestinian General Delegation back to Washington, because we cannot advance peace when we have closed our channels of communication. I will resume aid to the Palestinians that the Trump Administration has cut off and place greater emphasis on relieving the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, because we cannot sustain peace without a future that brings greater freedom, prosperity and security to the Palestinian people. I will reopen the U.S. mission in Jerusalem to the Palestinians and make clear that in a two-state agreement both parties should be able to have their capitals in Jerusalem.”

  “Today the continued expansion of Israeli settlements and the increasing normalization of proposals for Israel to annex parts or all of the West Bank are the most immediate dangers to the two-state solution....I oppose unilateral annexation in any form — and I will reverse any U.S. policy that supports it. If Israel’s government continues with steps to annex the West Bank, the U.S. should make clear that none of our aid should be used to support annexation. At the same time, I will also address anti-democratic practices and corruption within the Palestinian Authority that have fed a sense of disillusionment inside the Palestinian Territories. And we must unequivocally press all sides to refrain from violence or incitement to violence.”

  “We must address the credibility gap that has been created amongst the young Israelis and Palestinians who simply do not believe that peace is possible, where hope has been replaced by fear and mistrust. We must work to lay a foundation that enables Israelis and Palestinians to overcome the broken status quo and move towards a brighter future — one where Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace, freedom, security, and prosperity.” (JTA, February 26, 2020)

• “Israelis have a right to security and the Palestinians have a right to be treated with dignity and to have self-determination. That is a two-state solution. But it’s not up to us to determine what the terms of a two-state solution are. We want to be a good ally to everyone in the region. The best way to do that is to encourage the parties to get to the negotiating table themselves.

  Donald Trump’s big mistake is he keeps putting a thumb on the scale on just one side, and that moves the parties further away from working out their own solution here. We need to be an ally by supporting them to come to negotiate to find a lasting peace.”

  GARRETT: “But, Senator Warren, just on the question of the embassy, what was your position on that?”

  WARREN: “It is not ours to do. We should let the parties determine the capital.” (Democratic Debate, February 25, 2020)

• Warren did not attend the 2019 AIPAC Policy Conference and was asked if she would skip it again. She replied, “Yes.” She added, “The way I see this, is that for America to be a good ally of Israel and of the Palestinians, we need to encourage both parties to get to the negotiating table. And we are not doing that if we keep standing with one party and saying were on your side, we are going to give you all of the things you ask for domestically here and in Israel. The two-state solution….it’s the official policy of the United States of America for nearly 70 years and the official policy of Israel. We need a solution in Israel that is a long-term solution that provides protection for the Israelis and self-determination and dignity for the Palestinians. We need to encourage the parties to come together…and have them negotiate out. They need to negotiate the right answer that will work for them. The details, the settlements, the occupations, the capital, that’s what the parties should negotiate. And we are not a good friend to either party when we disrupt that process and keep it from going forward. So, as president of the United States, I will do my best to urge both parties to come to the negotiating table and work out a long-term peaceful solution that is good for everyone.” (C-SPAN, Senator Elizabeth Warren In Derry, New Hampshire, February 6, 2020)

• “We need to encourage both Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate with each other. The United States should not be putting a thumb on the scale, should not be saying, in these negotiations, ‘We stand only with one party.’ We should recognize that Israel has a right to its security. The Palestinians have a right to self-determination and to be treated with respect.”

  “The two-state solution has been the official policy of the United States and of Israel for nearly 70 years now. How do you make that happen? You want to be a good friend to Israel and to the Palestinians. Keep pushing them to the negotiating table. Let them negotiate, for all of the pieces they want, how they create a long-term, sustainable home for Palestinians and a safe, stable home for the Israelis. But our job is to get them to the negotiating table and stop handing out for political reasons just favors to one side and hurting the other. That does not in the long run move that region closer to peace and it does not treat the people in the region with the respect they deserve.”

  “They should be negotiating what constitutes the capital. That’s really my point, is that that’s what the parties should decide. The parties should negotiate whether or not the capital is in Jerusalem, where the capital is, and then the United States should move its embassy to be in the capital of each of the two states in a two-state solution.” (JewishInsider, February 6, 2020)

• “Trump’s ‘peace plan’ is a rubber stamp for annexation and offers no chance for a real Palestinian state. Releasing a plan without negotiating with Palestinians isn’t diplomacy, it’s a sham. I will oppose unilateral annexation in any form—and reverse any policy that supports it.” (@ewarren, January 28, 2020)

• “The first thing I believe that we should take, is we have to speak out about Palestinian rights and talk about values. We also need to establish Palestinian representation in Washington. We need to make sure that there is aid to the Palestinian people, and that we are helping the Palestinians and the Israelis move to — what has been the official policy in Israel and the official policy of the U.S.A for nearly 70 years now — and that is a two-state solution that recognizes a home and recognizes dignity for everyone in the region. It is the long-term path for peace and we need to keep pushing in that direction… We are a good friend not when we put a thumb on the scales and say, ‘Here is the right answer. Here is how we are going to help one side, take advantage of the other.’’’ (JewishInsider, January 13, 2019)

• The New York Times asked each candidate a series of questions related to Israel. Asked about military aid to Israel, Warren said:
  
  “Israel is an important ally, and I am committed to Israel’s security and safety, and to working together to combat shared threats. But it is also critical to preserve the viability of the two-state solution. In some cases, this may mean finding ways to apply pressure and create consequences for problematic behavior by both parties, as previous Democratic and Republican presidents have done. Today, the continued expansion of Israeli settlements and the increasing normalization of proposals for Israel to annex parts or all of the West Bank are the most immediate dangers to the two-state solution. I will reverse the Trump administration’s new policy on settlements, which upends 40 years of bipartisan precedent, and make clear that Israeli settlements violate international law. And if Israel’s government continues with steps to annex the West Bank, the U.S. should make clear that none of our aid should be used to support annexation.”
  
  On whether she would move the U.S. embassy from Jerusalem, Warren said, “As president, I will take immediate steps to re-establish America’s role as a credible mediator by reopening an American mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. I would also make clear that in a two-state agreement, both parties should have the option to locate their capitals in Jerusalem — one for Israel and one for a future Palestinian state. If Israel takes steps counter to peace, I am prepared to freeze or reverse the limited embassy functions that have moved to Jerusalem.”
  
  On the question of the fate of Palestinian refugees, she said, “Like all people, every Palestinian refugee should have the right to citizenship and dignity. The fate of Palestinian refugees is one of the core issues of the conflict, and there must be a just settlement negotiated between the two sides. Through prior negotiations, a range of remedies have been developed, including Palestinian refugees returning to the new state of Palestine, obtaining permanent residency or citizenship in the countries where they reside, resettlement in other countries of their choosing, and a negotiated number returning to Israel. There should also be an international fund to compensate Palestinian refugees.”
  
  Warren supports the establishment of a Palestinian state that includes West Bank land as demarcated by pre-1967 borders. “Any two-state agreement,” she said, “should be based on the 1967 lines, with agreed-upon modifications such as reciprocal land swaps.”
   

  “A two-state solution is good for U.S. interests, good for Israel’s security and its future, and good for Palestinian aspirations for dignity and self-determination. To achieve this, there must be an end to the Israeli occupation and the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip living alongside Israel.”

  “I’ll welcome the Palestinian General Delegation back to Washington, because we cannot advance peace when we have closed our channels of communication. I’ll resume aid to the Palestinians that the Trump administration has cut off, because we cannot sustain peace without a future that brings greater freedom, prosperity, and security to the Palestinian people.”

  “I will also put greater emphasis on relieving the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. I will seek a political arrangement that ends the rocket attacks, lifts the blockade, and facilitates the political reunification of Gaza with the West Bank. And I will make it clear to the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships that incitement and incentivizing terror against civilians is unacceptable.” (New York Times, December 2019)

• “Netanyahu is accused of accepting bribes, trading government favors, and manipulating a free press. Like his pal Donald Trump, he'll stop at nothing to enrich himself and stay in power. This blatant corruption has no place in any democracy—I'll fight it at home and abroad.” (@ewarren, November 21, 2019)

• Responding to the Trump administration’s announcement that it does not consider settlements illegal, Warren said, “Another blatantly ideological attempt by the Trump administration to distract from its failures in the region. Not only do these settlements violate international law — they make peace harder to achieve. As president, I will reverse this policy and pursue a two-state solution.” (Times of Israel, November 19, 2019)

• “I welcome the Gaza ceasefire. Dozens were killed in Gaza, and hundreds of rockets fired at Israel. We must work to end rocket attacks on Israel, eliminate the Gaza blockade, and solve the humanitarian crisis so that all Israelis and Palestinians live in security and freedom.” (@ewarren, November 14, 2019)

• “As president, I will take immediate steps to fix the damage caused by Donald Trump’s reckless policies….I will welcome the Palestinian General Delegation back to Washington and I will reopen an American mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem.”
  
  “We must find ways to make tangible progress on the ground toward a two-state solution...I will make clear that in a two-state agreement both parties should be able to have their capitals in Jerusalem.”

  “Sometimes that might mean finding ways to apply pressure and create consequences for problematic behavior as previous Democratic and Republican presidents have done. For example: If Israel’s government continues with steps to formally annex the West Bank, the U.S. should make clear that none of our aid should be used to support annexation.”
  
  “I will also immediately resume aid to the Palestinians and financial support to UNRWA and focus on fixing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and on bringing greater freedom and prosperity to the people in the West Bank. We must find ways to make tangible progress on the ground toward a two-state solution.”

  “...we must lay a foundation that enables Israelis and Palestinians to move beyond the broken status quo toward a brighter future. And I look forward to working with J Street as we build that future....” 
  
  “Let’s be clear: We can speak out against the far-right-wing policies of the Netanyahu government like annexation and settlements while supporting Israel.” 
  
  “I believe that Israel is a strong and important ally. I am committed to Israel’s security and safety and cooperating closely on the threats the Israelis face from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.” (J Street Conference, October 28, 2019)

• Alexis Krieg, a spokeswoman for the Warren campaign told the JTA: “Senator Warren believes a two-state solution is the outcome that is best for U.S. interests, for Israel’s security and its future, and for ensuring Palestinian rights, freedom and self-determination. As president, she will seek ways to preserve the viability of the two-state solution on the ground.”

  “Senator Warren supports immediate steps to increase access to water, electricity and health care in Gaza, as well as increased freedom of movement,” Krieg said. “As president, she will seek a political arrangement that ends the rocket attacks and blockade and brings about the political reunification of Gaza with the West Bank.” (JTA, October 31, 2019)

• “It is the official policy of the United States of America to support a two-state solution, and if Israel is moving in the opposite direction, then everything is on the table.”

  “Right now, [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu says he is going to take Israel in a direction of increasing settlements, [but] that does not move us in the direction of a two-state solution.” (Washington Free Beacon, October 20, 2019)

• “I believe in the worth and value of every Israeli and every Palestinian. The way we respect all parties is through a two-state solution - an outcome that’s good for U.S. interests, good for Israel's security and its future, and good for Palestinian aspirations for dignity and self-determination. To achieve this, there must be an end to the Israeli occupation and the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip living alongside Israel. 

  As president, I would take immediate steps to reestablish America’s role as a credible mediator by welcoming the Palestinian General Delegation back to Washington and reopening an American mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. I would also make clear that in a two-state agreement both parties should have the option to locate their capitals in Jerusalem, as all previous serious plans have acknowledged. We should immediately resume aid to the Palestinians and financial support to UNRWA, and focus real financial and political resources on fixing the man-made humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. I will oppose incitement to violence and support for terrorism by Palestinian extremists like Hamas. And I will make clear my unequivocal opposition to Israeli settlement activity and to any moves in the direction of annexation of the West Bank.” (Council on Foreign Relations, September 16, 2019)

• Axios asked candidates if they would move the U.S. embassy back to Tel Aviv. Warren did not respond. (Axios, July 14, 2019)

• Two women approached the Senator at an event and said, “Hi we're American Jews. We really love the way you’re fighting corruption. We’d really love it if you also pushed the Israeli government to end occupation.” 

  “Yes. Yes. I’m so there,” Warren responded, and then ushered them into position for a photo. (Washington Examiner, July 9, 2019)

• Asked to defend her decision to support legislation to provide emergency funding for the Iron Dome air defense system, Warren said, “America has a very special relationship with Israel. Israel lives in a very dangerous part of the world, a part of the world where there aren’t any liberal democracies,” she said, adding that Israel had been attacked “indiscriminately” with projectiles “aimed not at military targets but at anybody they can hit in Israel — the fundamental notion of terrorism.”

  “When Hamas puts its rocket launchers next to hospitals, next to schools, they’re using their civilian population to protect their military assets. And I believe Israel has a right, at that point, to defend itself.”

  When asked by a constituent whether U.S. funding should be conditional on Israel’s agreement to stop building settlements, Warren responded: “I think there’s a question of whether we should go that far.”

  In December 2017, she said that “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel” but  “neither the U.S. nor any other outside power should impose a solution, and that is why I am concerned about Trump’s decision [to move the U.S. embassy], which I believe makes it more difficult to reach that goal.”

  In 2018, she said she was “deeply concerned about the deaths and injuries” at the Gaza border and called on the Israel military to “exercise restraint and respect the rights of Palestinians to peacefully protest.”

  In June 2019, Warren expressed support for a proposed Senate resolution that says “unilateral annexation of portions of the West Bank would jeopardize prospects for a two-state solution, harm Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors, threaten Israel’s Jewish and democratic identity, and undermine Israel’s security.”

  Warren said that “branding criticism of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic has a chilling effect on our public discourse and makes it harder to achieve a peaceful solution between Israelis and Palestinians.” (Haaretz, June 27, 2019)

• Asked by the New York Times, “Do you think Israel meets international standards of human rights?” Warren responded, “I think that Israel is in a really tough neighborhood. I understand that. They face enormous challenges, and they are our strong ally. We need a liberal democracy in that region and to work with that liberal democracy. But it is also [the] case that we need to encourage our ally, the way we would any good friend, to come to the table with the Palestinians and to work toward a permanent solution. I strongly support the two-state solution, and I believe that a good friend says to the Palestinians and to the Israelis: come to the table and negotiate. The United States cannot dictate the terms of a long-term settlement for the Palestinians and the Israelis, but what it can do is urge both of them to go there and to stay out of the way — to let them negotiate the pieces that are most important to them for a lasting peace. The current situation is not tenable. It may be tenable for a week, it may be tenable for a month, but it is not in the long-term interest of either the Israelis or the Palestinians to continue on the path they are on. They need to come to a two-state solution.” (New York Times, June 19, 2019)

• In June 2019, Warren and several other senators submitted a resolution to the Senate expressing opposition to Israeli annexation of the West Bank. (Haaretz, (June 7, 2019)
   
• “Israel is a strong ally, an important friend to the United States. Good friends can disagree and candid expression of concerns does not diminish our friendship, we can and should have an open policy debate.” (Comments to American Jewish Committee, June 3, 2019)
   
• “First embracing right-wing extremism. Now manipulating a free press, accepting bribes, and trading government favors. The allegations against Prime Minister Netanyahu are serious and cut to the heart of a functioning democracy.”
  
  “Corruption — in Israel, in the US, or anywhere else — is a cancer that threatens democracy. We need to fight back. And we can start by having the courage to call it out wherever it occurs. Even among our allies.” @ewarren, February 27, 2019)
   
• “I think the way we can be a good ally to Israel is we can push again toward a two state solution toward a long term solution in this area and look I get it. Israel lives in a very dangerous part of the world. It’s a liberal democracy. We don’t have a lot of allies over there that follow the liberal democratic traditions but a good ally urges friends to get together and work out a solution. And the Palestinians and the Israelis need to be back at the negotiating table. The United States should not be dictating terms. We should not be putting chips on the table or taking them off. But we should be pushing them to negotiate a two state solution….
  
  I think we have to stop to acknowledge what has changed during the Trump administration. The pressure toward a two state solution obviously has gone away and in fact the whole publicly naming Jerusalem as the capital and moving our embassy. Took one of the things that should have been decided by the parties. It’s not our decision, it’s their decision and how they wanted to handle that. It made it very clear we’re standing on one side in these negotiations. And the problem with that is it. It doesn’t encourage negotiation…
  
  [T]he way I see what you’re talking about is we have pushed it this far under the Obama administration and now Trump has completely reversed it. I don’t therefore draw the conclusion that what happened under the Obama administration was never going to work that you couldn’t keep pushing harder because over time realities are bearing down on Israel, demographic realities, births and deaths. What the region looks like and I think that that this is a moment not while Trump is in there playing the game that he’s playing but that the opportunity soon to get Israel back to the table and get the Palestinians back to the table. If we the United States can be an honest broker and can encourage again other nations other allies to help support that. I’m – I’m, I actually had just a little [glimmer of optimism].” 
  
  Re perception that Israel is aligned with the Republican Party: “Yes. And I honestly– I, I don’t think it’s good for Israel. I mean I think it’s terrible for Israel and that that’s the direction he’s going…. [Though] Trump is not forever and neither is Netanyahu.” Mondoweiss, February 22, 2019)
   
• “Israel lives in a dangerous part of the world where there are not a lot of liberal democracies,” Warren said. “We need a strong Israel there….a good ally is an ally that promotes peace.” (JTA, February 11, 2019)
   
• In May 2018, Warren was one of 13 senators who signed a letter calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “do more to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.” The letter also said, “The political and security challenges in Gaza are formidable, but support for the basic human rights of its people must not be conditioned on progress on those fronts...For the sake of Israelis and Palestinians alike, the United States must act urgently to help relieve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. We stand ready to work with you on this important matter.” (Jerusalem Post, February 11, 2019)
   
• “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and diplomacy between Israelis and Palestinians should determine the final status of Jerusalem for all parties…. I believe a two-state solution remains the best chance for peace for all who remain in the Holy Land. I also believe neither the U.S. nor any other outside power should impose a solution, and that is why I am concerned about Trump’s decision, which I believe makes it more difficult to reach that goal….If the president is serious about peace, I urge him to produce a comprehensive strategy to achieve it. That is what American leadership demands. That is what the Israelis and Palestinians deserve.” (JTA, December 8, 2017)

Iran

• The New York Times asked each candidate a series of questions related to U.S. policy toward Iran. Warren said she “would re-enter the deal with no new preconditions.”

  Asked about the legality, justification and wisdom of killing Qassim Suleimani, Warren said, “The president’s reckless decision has brought us to the brink of another war in the Middle East. His administration has produced no evidence of imminent threat and made no meaningful attempt at a legal justification. There was no prior consultation with Congress, and no serious thought put into the potential consequences for our troops and our country — or even for the president’s own stated strategies in the region. President Trump’s dangerous escalation has made Americans less safe.”

  Regarding a future military conflict, Warren said, “I want to end America’s wars in the Middle East, not start a new one with Iran. The litmus test I will use for any military action against Iran is the same that I will use as I consider any military action anywhere in the world. I will not send our troops into harm’s way unless there is a vital national security interest at risk, a strategy with clear and achievable objectives, and an understanding and acceptance of the long-term costs.”

  Asked about her strategy for dealing with Iran, she said, “The first thing we need to do is de-escalate and reopen channels of communication with Iran, using the P5+1 and other interlocutors. The best way to do that is to start by negotiating the re-entry of the United States and Iran into the J.C.P.O.A. if that is still possible. If the crisis and conflict President Trump has chosen to create make re-entry into the J.C.P.O.A. impossible, we can still lead with diplomacy and pursue interim confidence-building agreements that focus on our most pressing strategic priority in the region: constraining Iran’s nuclear program.” (New York Times, February 2020)

• “We also need to address serious concerns about Iran’s policies beyond its nuclear program, including its ballistic missile program and support for destabilizing regional proxies,” Warren said. “The [Iran deal] made addressing these problems easier by taking the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran off the table.” (JTA, January 17, 2020)

• Following news that Iran had fired missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq, Warren said, “This is a reminder of why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran.” (CNN, January 10, 2020)

• “If Iran returns to compliance with its obligations under the nuclear deal, the United States should return as well. If Iran is not in compliance, I will pursue strong and principled diplomacy in concert with our allies to bring both the United States and Iran back into the deal.

  The JCPOA is only the beginning. We will need to negotiate a follow-on to the agreement that continues to constrain Iran’s nuclear program past the “sunset” of some of its original terms. 

  We also need to address serious concerns about Iran’s policies beyond its nuclear program, including its ballistic missile program and support for destabilizing regional proxies. The JCPOA made addressing these problems easier by taking the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran off the table. As predicted, President Trump’s reckless decision to withdraw from the agreement has clearly put us in a weaker position, and to make progress we will need to rebuild support from regional and international actors whose interests are also at stake. But with time and leverage, the damage can be undone and diplomacy can be successful again.” (Council on Foreign Relations, September 16, 2019)

• Warren was one of the first Senate leaders to issue a statement of support for the Iran nuclear deal, praising it in August 2015 as “a comprehensive set of restrictions to block Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb.” She added, it “is far easier to counter the ambitions of an Iran that has no nuclear weapon than it is to counter an Iran that can threaten the world with a nuclear bomb.”

  In May 2018, she said withdrawing from the Iran deal “breaks our word, hurts our credibility with our allies, empowers Iranian hardliners, and doesn’t make us any safer here at home.” The president “pulled the U.S. out without offering any real alternative to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, creating chaos and confusion across the Middle East, and the world. This isn’t a strategy. It’s a recipe for disaster.” She said in March 2019 that if she becomes president, she would seek to reenter the Iran deal. (Haaretz, June 27, 2019)

• Warren voted for the Iran nuclear deal. When asked if she would return to it, a spokesperson said that “as long as Iran continues to abide by the terms of the deal, she would return to it as president in order to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” (Al-Monitor, March 19, 2019)

Syria

•  Regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops in October 2019, Warren said in that month’s debate, “I think that we ought to get out of the Middle East. I don’t think we should have troops in the Middle East but we have to do it the right way, the smart way.”
  
  What this president has done is that he has sucked up to dictators, he has made impulsive decisions that often his own team doesn't understand, he has cut and run on our allies, and he has enriched himself at the expense of the United States of America. In Syria, he has created a bigger-than-ever humanitarian crisis. He has helped ISIS get another foothold, a new lease on life.
  
  We need to get out, but we need to do this through a negotiated solution. There is no military solution in this region. (Washington Post, October 16, 2019)
   
• In January 2019 Warren criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. She agreed that US troops should be withdrawn from Syria and Afghanistan but said such withdrawals should be part of a “coordinated” plan formed with U.S. allies. (Wikipedia)

*AICE does not rate or endorse any candidate for political office.

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