Justin Murphy’s Documented Israel/Palestine Record

The November 3, 2026 general election, not a primary, includes Justin Murphy as the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, New Jersey. [1] This explainer covers what Murphy has publicly documented about Israel and Palestine. It does not treat party affiliation, campaign themes, or gaps in the record as a substitute for his own words.

The short version is specific. In an October 8 U.S. Senate debate, Murphy described Israel as “a great ally of ours” and said, “I support their right to exist.” In that same answer, he condemned violence by some Israeli settlers in the West Bank and said President Donald Trump should be “a little harder on Israel” to stop it. [2] [3] Those statements support both parts of the record. They do not provide a full platform on the conflict.

What Murphy has said about Israel and West Bank violence

Murphy’s clearest statement came during the October 8 debate. His answer included support for Israel’s existence and its relationship with the United States. [2] The debate video preserves his words:

> “I think Israel is a great ally of ours. I support their right to exist.” [2]

That is documented public support for Israel’s right to exist. It is not, by itself, a statement approving every action by an Israeli government, every military operation, or every policy affecting Palestinians. [2]

In the same answer, Murphy said that some Israeli settlers in the West Bank were attacking people and burning homes. He called that conduct “horrible” and said it was “wrong no matter who does it.” He then said he wanted Trump to be harder on Israel to make it stop. [2] New Jersey Globe’s account of the debate also reported and quoted this part of the exchange. [3]

That is a criticism of a specific form of conduct: settler violence in the West Bank. Murphy did not say in the documented answer that every Israeli policy was wrong, nor did he lay out a broader policy toward Israel. His request for U.S. pressure was tied to stopping the violence he described. Readers should not turn that narrow statement into a claim about positions he did not state. [2] [3]

Palestinian rights, Hamas, and October 7

Murphy’s West Bank comments concerned people being attacked and homes being burned. They give voters a documented basis to say he condemned that violence. They do not give a basis to assign him a broader position on Palestinian statehood, equal rights, occupation, a two-state framework, or other questions of Palestinian rights. The reviewed materials did not locate such a broader statement. [2] [4]

The debate record also says Murphy called the October 7 killing of unarmed civilians “reprehensible.” His campaign website refers more generally to security threats after October 7. [2] [4] Those are statements about violence against civilians and security. They are not a specific policy toward Hamas. The reviewed debate record and campaign materials do not set out what legal, military, diplomatic, or other action Murphy would seek against Hamas. [2] [4]

This distinction matters. Hamas is not the same thing as Palestinians, and a statement about Hamas is not automatically a statement about Palestinian civilians or rights. In the same way, an Israeli government, Israeli settlers, Israel as a country, Judaism, and Jewish people are separate subjects. Murphy’s documented comments should be read at the level of detail at which he made them. [2] [4]

Ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and U.S. arms policy

The supplied review found no explicit Murphy endorsement of or opposition to a Gaza ceasefire in the campaign website, campaign-linked YouTube channel, or debate record. [2] [4] [5] A general reference to regional stability is not the same as an explicit ceasefire position. For that reason, it would be inaccurate to describe Murphy as supporting or opposing a ceasefire based on the available material. [2] [4] [5]

The same limit applies to Palestinian humanitarian aid. The reviewed materials did not locate a position on whether the United States should provide aid, how it should be delivered, what conditions should apply, or how it should be funded. [2] [4]

They also did not locate a position on U.S. weapons transfers to Israel or on conditioning U.S. assistance. Murphy’s request for pressure over settler violence did not set out an arms-transfer policy or an aid-conditions proposal. [2] [3] That leaves an important practical question open for voters who want to know how he would approach U.S. leverage.

Why the U.S. Senate seat matters

This is a federal race, not a state or local office contest. A U.S. senator votes on federal legislation and has roles in foreign-policy-related oversight, appropriations, treaties, and confirmations. Those powers can touch U.S. relations with Israel, assistance, arms policy, and diplomatic appointments. [1]

Still, a senator does not set U.S. policy alone, command the armed forces, or control another country’s decisions. A candidate’s comments can show how they may approach votes and oversight. They cannot tell readers in advance exactly what an officeholder would do in every conflict, negotiation, or future vote. Murphy’s specific remarks are relevant because the office is federal, but they should not be stretched beyond what he said. [1] [2]

Judaism, Jewish people, antisemitism, and a separate Islam controversy

The reviewed material did not locate a verified public Murphy position on Judaism. It also does not let readers infer a view of Jewish people or a particular position on antisemitism from his Israel remarks. Support for Israel’s existence and criticism of settler violence are not statements about Judaism or Jewish people. [2] [4]

A separate August controversy involved Murphy’s comments about Islam. Politico reported criticism of those comments and quoted Murphy saying, “I do not believe all Muslims are evil people.” [9] That episode concerns Islam. It should not be used as a shortcut for describing his documented views on Israel, Palestine, Hamas, Judaism, Jewish people, or antisemitism. [9]

What the public record does not show

The reviewed public materials do not show a comprehensive Israel-policy platform from Murphy. They do not show a verified broader position on Palestinian statehood, equal rights, occupation, or a two-state framework. They do not show a specific Hamas policy, an explicit Gaza-ceasefire stance, a Palestinian humanitarian-aid proposal, or a U.S. arms-transfer or aid-conditions policy. [2] [4] [5]

The reviewed material did not locate a verified public Murphy position on Judaism. It also does not provide an Israel/Palestine statement that settles his views of Jewish people or antisemitism. These are material gaps, especially for readers seeking a detailed foreign-policy program. They are not evidence that Murphy holds any particular unstated view. [2] [4]

The fairest description is therefore a mixed, issue-specific record: Murphy has publicly backed Israel’s right to exist and called it a U.S. ally, while also condemning West Bank settler violence and calling for U.S. pressure to stop it. [2] [3] The rest of the questions above remain unanswered in the materials reviewed for this explainer.

Record update: other policy areas and voting history

Updated October 12, 2026. The sections below separate recorded votes, sponsored or cosponsored bills, campaign proposals, public statements, and gaps in the public record. They are included to help readers examine the evidence themselves; they do not recommend a candidate or a conclusion.

What Else Is in the Public Record

The separate explainer covers Justin Murphy’s documented Israel/Palestine record. Beyond that subject, Murphy’s public record is mostly a written campaign platform, public-event comments, and debate statements. He is the Republican challenger for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat, not a current senator, so these are proposals and stated priorities rather than Senate votes or bill sponsorships. [B1] [B2]

That distinction matters. A senator can vote on federal bills and amendments, but cannot enact these changes alone. [B13]

Taxes, work, and the cost of building a life

Murphy’s most specific economic proposal is a tax overhaul. His campaign says he would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and the Internal Revenue Code, replace them with a 10% to 12% flat income tax, and eliminate capital-gains, estate/death, and alternative-minimum taxes. He says those changes would provide economic security for the middle class, mobility for working-poor Americans, and incentives for business and job creation. [B3]

For New Jersey households, federal tax rules affect take-home pay, savings, inheritances, and business costs. The campaign does not provide bill text, revenue estimates, or a distributional analysis, so it does not show who would pay more or less under a final plan.

On housing, Murphy says a gainfully employed middle class and low interest rates are the “best homeownership policy.” He writes that self-employment has exposed him to financial stress and that small-business owners would have “no better friend in Washington.” [B3] These are commitments, not a named federal housing or small-business program.

Health care and abortion

Murphy says he agrees with people who want universal health coverage, but he opposes government-run health care. His campaign says he would seek legislation to give every American a portable Health Savings Account, allow insurance to be purchased across state lines, and create a dedicated Medicare and Medicaid fraud unit. The page says money recovered from fraud and waste should go back into Social Security and Medicare. [B3]

Those ideas are relevant to families comparing premiums, doctor networks, out-of-pocket costs, and the future of Medicare. They do not add up to a complete coverage plan in the material reviewed: Murphy’s site does not say how universal coverage would be achieved or how his approach would change the Affordable Care Act, Medicare benefits, or Medicaid eligibility.

On reproductive policy, Murphy says he is pro-life and believes life begins at conception. He lists exceptions for the life of the mother and rape or incest, and supports parental notification, a partial-birth-abortion ban, adoption policies, and no tax-dollar funding for abortion. [B3] The reviewed materials do not say whether he supports a nationwide ban, a gestational limit, or changes to medication-abortion policy.

Immigration, crime, and drug policy

Murphy’s immigration platform is detailed. It calls for finishing a southern-border wall, using the U.S. military at both borders, E-Verify for the workforce, Title 42 health protections, ending catch-and-release, and restoring the “Remain in Mexico” policy. It also calls for tracking visa holders, fines and deportation for people he describes as illegal immigrants, work visas that benefit the economy and workforce, and suspending federal aid to sanctuary jurisdictions. [B5] Elsewhere, he says legal immigration and assimilation have been a “Blessing for America.” [B3]

Immigration policy can shape family unity, employer hiring, and how state and local agencies work with federal authorities. Murphy’s site does not explain how these proposals would handle asylum claims, due process, or mixed-status families. It also supports the federal 287(g) program for local immigration enforcement. [B3]

For public safety, Murphy calls for securing the border, stopping fentanyl, deporting “criminal aliens,” and bringing federal charges when local prosecutors do not enforce criminal codes. [B3] His campaign also opposes marijuana legalization and calls for a nationwide anti-drug campaign. [B6] It does not identify a specific federal crime bill or detailed plan for sentencing, policing, treatment, or reentry.

Energy, the environment, and the Shore

Murphy favors more domestic energy production. His energy page calls for expanded production on federal lands and faster federal leasing and permitting, while using the word “responsibly.” [B4] His general pledge says he supports developing domestic resources only if it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner, and also supports expanding nuclear power. [B3]

His New Jersey-specific language is plain: he wants the Pinelands kept pristine and the Jersey Shore “pollution and windmill free.” [B3] That may matter to voters weighing electric bills, energy jobs, shore views, coastal ecosystems, and energy-development tradeoffs. The campaign does not define its environmental standard or name an offshore-wind measure.

Voting rules and the reach of federal power

Murphy has taken a clear position on voting rules. In July, he said, “As a candidate, I support the SAVE Act,” and said he would have co-sponsored it if already in the Senate. [B8] The bill, H.R. 22, would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. [B11] His statement is support for a bill, not a vote on it.

At an August town hall, Murphy backed the Trump administration’s effort to restrict mail-in voting. He cited ballot “chain of custody” and said he wanted a system fair to Republicans and Democrats. [B9] The report does not set out his detailed proposal for all mail or early voting.

He also wants what his campaign calls DOGE to become permanent and supports a Balanced Budget Amendment. [B3] A constitutional amendment would need two-thirds support in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states, not a decision by one senator. [B12] At the October debate, Murphy said he opposes term limits because “the American people are the term limit,” and he said he wants to limit private companies’ ability to control speech on their platforms. [B10] The debate report does not identify a bill or mechanism for the latter idea.

Education and parental rights

Murphy calls parental rights “the civil rights issues of our time.” He supports school choice and proposes abolishing the federal Department of Education. His campaign says the department’s roughly $100 billion annual budget should instead be divided among local school boards for public-education funding and voucher programs. [B3]

That is substantial for New Jersey families because federal education rules and dollars can affect services, local budgets, and parent choices. The campaign does not explain how funds would be divided or how federal programs and protections would operate after abolition.

Questions the public record still leaves open

Federal ethics and campaign finance: No clear candidate-specific public position located in the sources reviewed as of October 12, 2026.

Climate targets and infrastructure: No clear candidate-specific public position located in the sources reviewed as of October 12, 2026.

Those gaps do not prove an unstated view. They mark subjects where reviewed campaign materials, reporting, and debate coverage did not provide a clear candidate-specific position. The record is most concrete on taxes, health care, abortion, immigration enforcement, energy, voting, federal power, and education.

Voting Record and Israel-Related Public Actions

Justin Murphy is a 2026 candidate for U.S. Senate in New Jersey. The Federal Election Commission identifies his candidacy as Challenger. The state’s official candidate list identifies him as a Senate candidate; it does not mark him as an incumbent. [V1] [V2]

That status matters for voting-record questions. The official Senate page identifies Cory Booker and Andy Kim as New Jersey’s senators, and the House Clerk’s official 119th Congress list does not include Murphy among New Jersey’s House members. Congress.gov’s member directory was also reviewed for Justin Murphy and Justin Michael Murphy. [V3] [V4] [V5]

No verified legislative voting record was located in the official sources reviewed as of October 12, 2026. As a result, there is no verified House or Senate roll-call vote by Murphy on U.S. security assistance to Israel, arms transfers, arms appropriations, aid packages, or other legislation materially related to U.S. support for Israel. There is therefore no measure date, vote, or legislative outcome to report for him in those categories.

The review also checked for a state or local record through the New Jersey Legislature’s official roster and voting-record resources and Tabernacle Township’s official minutes repositories. Those searches did not locate a state-legislative profile, a municipal roll call, or a 2001–2003 Township Committee record that can be verified as Murphy’s. [V6] [V7] [V8]

The local-record finding has a limit. Tabernacle’s online minutes collection does not display a 2001–2003 set of materials, and the Township Clerk handles public-record requests. No request for additional historical records was filed for this review. [V7] [V9] The finding therefore does not show that no historical document exists. It says only that no legislative vote was verified in the official sources reviewed by the cutoff date.

Murphy has made public statements about Israel and West Bank settler violence in a 2026 debate, as covered in the separate Israel/Palestine explainer. Those are campaign statements, not roll-call votes. [V10] His campaign website’s general national-security language also does not identify a vote, bill, or specific position on U.S. assistance, arms transfers, or aid conditions for Israel. [V11]

A statement, a candidacy, or the absence of a located roll call cannot establish how someone voted on a measure that has not been documented. It also cannot establish how a candidate would vote on a future Senate bill. This section does not say Murphy has never voted in an election, has no views, or has withheld information. It separates verified legislative records from public statements and from questions the available record does not answer.

Sources and references

[1]: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2026/2026-official-general-candidates-us-senate.pdf "New Jersey Division of Elections, Official List of Candidates for U.S. Senate — 2026 General Election"

[2]: https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/new-jersey-us-senate-debate/686287?offset=1049000000000 "C-SPAN, New Jersey U.S. Senate Debate — Murphy on Trump and Israel"

[3]: https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/senate-candidates-booker-and-murphy-clash-over-iran-war-in-globe-debate/ "New Jersey Globe, Senate candidates Booker and Murphy clash over Iran war in Globe debate"

[4]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/ "Justin Murphy for U.S. Senate campaign website"

[5]: https://www.youtube.com/@JustinMurphy4Senate "Justin Murphy official YouTube channel"

[9]: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/31/nj-justin-murphy-islam-cory-booker-01057443 "Politico, Republican New Jersey Senate nominee comments on Islam"

[B1]: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2026/2026-official-general-candidates-us-senate.pdf "New Jersey Division of Elections, Official List of Candidates for U.S. Senate — July 27, 2026"

[B2]: https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S4NJ00532/ "Federal Election Commission, Justin Michael Murphy Candidate Overview"

[B3]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/ "Murphy for U.S. Senate 2026, My Senate Pledge"

[B4]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/issue-energy/ "Murphy for U.S. Senate 2026, Issue Energy"

[B5]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/issue-immigration/ "Murphy for U.S. Senate 2026, Issue Immigration"

[B6]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/issue-drugs/ "Murphy for U.S. Senate 2026, Issue Drugs"

[B8]: https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/justin-murphy-backs-save-act-after-noncitizens-added-to-n-j-voter-rolls/ "New Jersey Globe, Justin Murphy backs SAVE Act after noncitizens added to N.J. voter rolls — July 25, 2026"

[B9]: https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/murphy-backs-trump-effort-to-limit-mail-in-voting/ "New Jersey Globe, Murphy backs Trump effort to limit mail-in voting — August 28, 2026"

[B10]: https://newjerseymonitor.com/2026/10/08/cory-booker-justin-murphy-senate-debate/ "New Jersey Monitor, Cory Booker, Justin Murphy split on Iran war, economy during U.S. Senate debate — October 8, 2026"

[B11]: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22 "Congress.gov, H.R. 22 — Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), 119th Congress"

[B12]: https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artV-1/ALDE_00000507/ "Congress.gov Constitution Annotated, Article V — Amending the Constitution"

[B13]: https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures.htm "U.S. Senate, Powers and Procedures"

[V1]: https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S4NJ00532/ "Federal Election Commission, Justin Michael LLM Murphy candidate overview"

[V2]: https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2026/2026-official-general-candidates-us-senate.pdf "New Jersey Division of Elections, Official List—Candidates for U.S. Senate, 2026 General Election"

[V3]: https://www.senate.gov/states/NJ/intro.htm "U.S. Senate, States in the Senate—New Jersey"

[V4]: https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/olm-119.pdf "Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Official List of Members of the 119th Congress"

[V5]: https://www.congress.gov/members "Congress.gov, Members of the U.S. Congress"

[V6]: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/sitemap "New Jersey Legislature, site map (Legislative Roster and Voting Records resources)"

[V7]: https://www.tabernacle-nj.gov/agendas_and_minutes/index.php "Tabernacle Township, Committee Members / Agenda and Minutes / Recordings"

[V8]: https://ecode360.com/TA4117/documents/Committee_Minutes "Township of Tabernacle, Committee Minutes repository"

[V9]: https://www.tabernacle-nj.gov/departments/clerk/index.php "Tabernacle Township, Municipal Clerk and OPRA information"

[V10]: https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/new-jersey-us-senate-debate/686287?offset=1049000000000 "C-SPAN, New Jersey U.S. Senate Debate, October 8, 2026"

[V11]: https://jerseyjustin4senate.org/ "Murphy for U.S. Senate 2026 campaign website"