John Fetterman Finds Himself in a Bind

Despite recent backlash from his own supporters and voters, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman has insisted that he would not be calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas fighting, saying it would help the militant group.

In the aftermath of the attack on Israel on October 7, Fetterman, who was elected in last year's November midterms, expressed his full support for Israel and said that now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire.

"We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized," Fetterman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on October 18.

Fetterman's stance, which reflects that of President Joe Biden, has antagonized many of his supporters, who last week gathered outside his offices across the state in protest.

On Thursday, Biden said he thought there should be a humanitarian pause in the fighting but fell short of calling for a ceasefire despite pressure from human rights groups and protesters during a campaign speech the day before.

"I think we need a pause," Biden said, a slight concession to critics after his steadfast commitment to supporting Israel and its right to defend itself.

Similarly, Fetterman reportedly supported a humanitarian pause to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza but said that a full ceasefire would be used by Hamas to rearm itself.

"Sen. Fetterman on Israel's military campaign in Gaza: 'They are not targeting civilians. They never have, they never will' I asked about the IDF's recent airstrikes on a Gaza refugee camp and he replied: 'Civilians were not the target' and said Israel targeted tunnel networks," Joseph Zeballos-Roig, a journalist at global news agency Semafor, wrote on X.

"Fetterman said he is concerned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and believes a 'pause' in the fighting might be needed, but worries Hamas will use it to rearm," Zeballos-Roig added.

A similar point was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has refused calls for a ceasefire, saying it "will only strengthen Hamas."

The issue of a ceasefire is proving divisive for the Democratic Party and its electorate, with a group of progressive House lawmakers introducing a resolution calling for a ceasefire on October 16.

Among the House Democrats behind the resolution were Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

"They are running out of body bags," Tlaib said during a press conference on the same day, talking about the deaths in Gaza amid Israeli airstrikes. "We all know collective punishment of Palestinians is a war crime. The answer to war crimes can never be more war crimes."

Fetterman—and Biden—finds himself in a bind, torn between standing his ground and going with his electorate's calls for a ceasefire.

Since the October 7 attack, the Israeli government has cut off supplies of food, fuel, electricity and medicine to Gaza and launched a ground invasion which, as of the latest updates on Thursday, has reached Gaza City. About 1,400 people in Israel and 9,061 in Gaza have been killed amid the fighting, according to the Associated Press.

Other international leaders and organizations support an immediate ceasefire. On October 27, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all civilian hostages and the safe transport of humanitarian aid. The resolution was condemned by Israel.

Newsweek reached out to Fetterman's office by email on Friday for comment.

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