Fetterman Threatens to Leave Democratic Party Over Israel: ‘That’s My Red Line’

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) threatened to leave the Democratic Party over its decreasing support of Israel on Thursday, telling Fox News, “That’s my red line.”

Since Wednesday, he’s made similar comments in multiple appearances — at both the Hill Nation Summit on Wednesday and with CNN on Thursday.

His remarks come after a significant shift among House Democrats on Wednesday, when 103 members of the party voted to eliminate $3.3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel, and another 10 voted “present.” Though the amendment ultimately failed 314-104, the vote clearly underscores the party’s increasingly divided stance on the country. In a similar vote just two years ago, just 37 Democrats backed the effort.

“That’s my red line in the Democratic Party,” Fetterman told Fox News on Thursday. “Look at the people who are winning these primaries right now. They are not just, ‘I’m just pro-Palestinian. I’m deeply anti, anti-Israel.'”

Here, Fetterman is referring to recent primary wins by Democratic socialist candidates, many of whom have expressed a major willingness to condemn Israel over its treatment of Palestinians — far beyond what is typically heard from the Democratic establishment. According to the Washington Examiner in late June, “Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America have scored victories in 35 primary elections so far this year.”

When speaking at The Hill’s summit on Wednesday, Fetterman clarified that while he has “no plans” to leave the party, “If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.”

The senator added that he “can’t understand why the Democratic Party” would turn against Israel, criticizing members of his party who “are trying to ingratiate ourselves with that segment of the base of our voters who are intensely, intensely anti-Israel.”

Watch the full clip of Fetterman’s Thursday comments above via Fox News.

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