Sen. John Fetterman threatened to leave the Democratic Party if it becomes the “anti-Israel party,” in another move to distance himself from his left-leaning colleagues.
Although the Pennsylvania Democrat said he has “no plans” to leave the party for now, he drew the line on letting Israel stand without U.S. support.
Mr. Fetterman said at The Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday that he is “never changing” his party, except for “that one condition.”
“If they put that in our platform — no aid for Israel — and officially become the anti-Israel party, then yeah, that’s a red line for me,” he told NBC News on Thursday. “Democrats, we always should support Israel. That’s our special ally, you know? In the only democracy in the entire region, that’s Israel. So I’m always proud to stand with Israel.”
He clarified that his line is “if the Democratic Party officially says, ‘Israel is the problem, Israel doesn’t deserve to exist, and I’m never going to support aid, and I’m not going to call out Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran as terrorists,’ and they are the problem in the region.”
As Democrats eye a Republican upset in November’s midterm elections to secure the Senate majority, Mr. Fetterman’s potential act of defiance to ditch his caucus could disrupt the party’s chance to regain control.
“And if we flip those four seats, then I would be 51, and … watch what I do,” he said Wednesday. “I’m the guy that would be there that 51 as the committed Democrat.”
He did not say that he would join the GOP or switch to an independent and continue to caucus with Democrats. He did acknowledge, however, that he has been approached by Republicans about leaving the Democratic Party.
Israel has driven a rift among Democrats, as critics of the Mideast country threaten to unseat incumbents who have shown unconditional support for the Jewish state.
This dynamic has emerged at the polls, with a majority of Democratic voters — and a growing share of independents — expressing more sympathy for Palestinians and skepticism about Israel, even as Americans overall remain roughly split on the issue.
An amendment this week to cut off U.S. aid to Israel sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, garnered support from 103 House Democrats.
Although Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the measure and it failed, Mr. Fetterman cited the vote as a reflection of a broader party trend.
“You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries,” he said. “It’s becoming more anti-Israel and hostile to people” who are pro-Israel.
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