In an interview with The New York Times’ Lulu Garcia-Navarro published on Saturday, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed unwavering support for the Jewish state amid an uptick in anti-Israel sentiment in his party over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. 

“The death and destruction and the misery was designed by Hamas. They understood that that’s going to happen. They don’t care. So we can both agree that the misery and the deaths in Gaza is terrible,” Fetterman said. “Some people blame Israel. Well, I blame Hamas.”

The Pennsylvania Democrat reiterated that he “loved” Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and expressed skepticism about the viability of a two-state solution. 

Questioned further about his views on the pager attack, Fetterman held firm in his praise of the operation despite condemnation from the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “It was targeted for members of Hezbollah. You know, no one uses beepers in that situation other than they were a member of Hezbollah,” he said.

Garcia-Navarro noted that a child was killed, to which Fetterman replied: “Unfortunately, tragically, because daddy was a member of Hezbollah. He brought that danger and evil into their home. And that’s what tragically resulted in that poor child’s death. And that’s what’s so terrible. She paid the price because her father was a terrorist for Hezbollah.”

In an interview between @LuluGNavarro and @JohnFetterman when asked about his comments about the pager attack against Hezbollah and the death of a child:

LGN: "There was a young child who was killed who was taking the pager to their parent."

Fetterman: "It did unfortunately,… pic.twitter.com/NHDdgW9e5K

— Jewish Insider (@J_Insider) October 27, 2024

On his position on a two-state solution, Fetterman was pressed about being one of two Senate Democrats to vote against a resolution endorsing the establishment of a Palestinian state. 

“I really used to believe that it should be a done deal for a two-state solution,” Fetterman said. “That became part of the boilerplate for Democrats, and I assume that must be true. But the way things have evolved and where we’re at now — I mean, that would be ideal. I wish there could be peaceful two states. But the way things continue to evolve, I’m unsure if that’s even possible.”

In an interview with The New York Times, @JohnFetterman was asked about the two-state solution and being one of two Senate Democrats to vote against a resolution endorsing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"The way things have evolved and where we’re at now — I mean,… pic.twitter.com/F16uGI5979

— Jewish Insider (@J_Insider) October 28, 2024

“I’m hopeful, but I’m not convinced that’s even viable. But what seems to be true and one of the enduring truths through this is that Israel continues to confront the kinds of singular evil that really manifest its way in Oct. 7. And they have the right to destroy Hamas, and now Hezbollah,” he continued. “You know, everybody, experts describe Hezbollah as like the ultimate badass, and Israel demolished them. And there’s no leadership left. And those are the kinds of hard things that needed to finally be confronted if they’re ever going to have some more enduring peace.”