Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Senator John Fetterman, dressed in a hoodie and shorts, during their meeting in Israel on Wednesday for telling it “like it is.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat has been an outspoken defender of Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, much to the dismay of his former progressive supporters.
‘Israel has had no better friend than Senator John Fetterman. Senator, welcome to Israel. “I want to thank him for his brave statements that show moral clarity and moral courage, and he just tells it like it is,” Netanyahu said.
Fetterman responded: “We support Israel in all of this and I am very sorry for what has been done to this nation, but it is an honor to be here today.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Senator John Fetterman, dressed in a hoodie and shorts, during their meeting in Israel on Wednesday for saying “things are the way they are.”
The senator also donned a special bracelet given to him by the families of victims killed during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival.
On Tuesday he told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that he would not remove the bracelet until all hostages held by Hamas were returned.
Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas to secure the release of the hostages. Some critics have accused him of intentionally prolonging the war to postpone elections that could lead to his overthrow.
Pro-Israel voices scored a victory in Congress on Tuesday as Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost his primary against George Latimer.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) invested $15 million in the race against Bowman, an outspoken critic of Israel.
The Pennsylvania Democrat has been an outspoken defender of Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, much to the dismay of his former progressive supporters.
“Israel has had no better friend than Senator John Fetterman. Senator, welcome to Israel. I want to thank you for your brave statements that demonstrate moral clarity and moral courage, and you simply tell it like it is,” Netanyahu said.
Last month, Fetterman received a standing ovation at the Yeshiva’s graduation ceremony when he publicly disavowed his alma mater, Harvard.
“I was reflecting on when my last graduation was and that was literally a quarter of a century ago, 25 years ago,” he told a crowd of graduates. “I was graduating from Harvard University, but today I am deeply disappointed by Harvard’s inability to stand up for the Jewish community.”
“Personally, I don’t think it’s right for me to wear this today,” he added as he took off his crimson hood. The crowd gasped before erupting into a standing ovation.
Fetterman graduated from Harvard Kennedy School with a Master of Public Policy in 1999.
