As a growing segment of the Democratic Party’s far-left wing pushes President Joe Biden and other party leaders to weaken their support of Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas, a handful of Democrats have stood up to this anti-Israel faction.
Following an Iranian missile and drone strike on Israel over the weekend, Biden’s softening stance toward Israel once again came into focus when the contents of his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were leaked. The president reportedly told Netanyahu that America would not support any counterattack against Iran launched by the Israeli military.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has been among his party’s most outspoken pro-Israel voices since the Oct. 6 attack by Hamas, expressed his opposition with the White House during a CNN interview on Sunday.
Democratic Sen. @JohnFetterman tells CNN’s @JakeTapper that President Biden shouldn’t “capitulate to the fringe” in his party when it comes to Israel. pic.twitter.com/pjDqi0sBPJ
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) April 14, 2024
“When a nation can launch hundreds of drones toward Israel, I’m not going to be talking about conditions — ever,” he said.
Fetterman went on to assert that it was “astonishing that we are not standing firmly with Israel,” reiterating his belief that it is wrong for the U.S. to place limitations on how Israel can defend itself against foreign attacks.
As for Biden’s reported warning to Netanyahu that Israel would not have U.S. support if it decided to retaliate for Saturday’s attack by Iran, the senator said: “I don’t agree with that. And I just think we should follow and have Israel’s back in this situation. I don’t agree with the president.”
Fetterman vowed to “never capitulate to the fringe” in his own party or “pander” to the growing anti-Israel sentiment on the left.
“In fact, that helps, that empowers Hamas,” the Pennsylvania Democrat added. “And Hamas is actually convinced that they are winning the PR war, and they’re never going to negotiate at this point. They think they’re going to hold on to the very end. And I know why they’re not willing to provide any kind of proof of life. And I don’t know why there’s not more of that conversation in the media. Like, what about the hostages? What’s happened to them? Where are they now? And let’s just bring them home.”
Fetterman has confronted pro-Palestine activists on multiple occasions in recent months, eliciting some praise — at least on this issue — from the other side of the aisle.
His reaction to the Biden-Netanyahu call echoed the assessment of Republicans like U.S. Rep. Marco Rubio of Florida, who said that it was “part of the White House’s effort to appease” the “anti-Israel and pro-terrorist elements” of the Democratic Party.
Rubio speculated that the call was leaked by the Biden administration “so when Israel does respond, the White House can say ‘we told them not to do it’ and at least somehow, in some way, appease these so-called peace activists.”
