John Fetterman's Israel Remarks Spark Furious Backlash

Senator John Fetterman is facing a backlash on social media after he made a post saying that now is not the time for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Fetterman, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania, made the remarks on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday as part of a thread where he said he grieved "for every innocent person and brave Israeli soldier killed since Hamas started this war."

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. At least 1,400 Israelis and at least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures from The Associated Press. Nearly 200 people were taken hostage in the October 7 attack.

"If not for the horrific attacks by Hamas terrorists, thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians would still be alive today," Fetterman wrote on Wednesday.

"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," he went on.

"Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized," the senator added.

Fetterman was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, defeating Republican candidate and celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

His election was a key victory for Democrats in Pennsylvania in part because Fetterman succeeded Republican Senator Pat Toomey, who had chosen to retire.

As a swing state, Pennsylvania appeared to be trending Republican in recent years and was won by Trump in the 2016 presidential election. However, President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 and Democrats scored another victory there with Fetterman's win two years later.

Fetterman has garnered attention for his somewhat unconventional style, including his use of memes on social media and controversy about whether he should wear a suit in the Senate.

His remarks about Israel and Hamas are important as they come when Democrats are divided over the issue. Some Democrats, such as Representative Rashida Tlaib, have expressed strong support for a ceasefire and criticized Israel, while Biden visited Israel in a show of support for the country.

Fetterman's remarks met with a backlash as some X users called for a ceasefire, but the senator also won some support for his position.

Newsweek has reached out to Fetterman's office via email for comment.

"A ceasefire is the only path to peace," wrote former Ohio state senator Nina Turner.

Wajahat Ali, columnist with The Daily Beast, wrote: "So more dead civilians, specifically children? Half of Palestinians in Gaza are children. How many more? Another question: how will more escalation, not less, help anyone let alone guarantee Israel's security in the long run?"

"Live in Pennsylvania? Flood Fetterman's inbox & voicemail demanding a ceasefire," wrote progressive activist Jordan Uhl as he shared a link to a website promoting a ceasefire.

"Extremely cruel and glib macho posturing as Israel openly engages in a policy of collective punishment," wrote Adam H. Johnson, co-host of the Citations Needed podcast.

"The idea that Israel is somehow, in a targeted way, going after Bad Guys is an action movie narrative entirely divorced from the actual logic of its bombing and siege campaign," Johnson said.

However, other X users supported Fetterman's position, with user Claudia responding to his tweets: "Sen. Fetterman, thank you for making such a strong statement in support of Israel and its fight against Hamas terrorists."

Darvio Morrow, CEO of the First Class Broadcasting Corp., shared Fetterman's tweet and wrote: "He's right. The fact that this is even controversial says a lot about the world we're living in. If the first reaction after Israel suffers an attack of that magnitude is to call for a ceasefire, you're basically saying let the terrorists get away with it."

Update 10/20/23, 10:17 a.m. E.T.: This article was updated to include more context about Fetterman.

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