On Monday, June 2, Senators John Fetterman, a Democrat, and Dave McCormick, a Republican, from Pennsylvania jointly condemned the escalating anti-Semitic sentiments in the United States. They made their remarks at the sixth Senate Program meeting at the Edward Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, hosted by Fox News anchor Shannon Bream.
The day before their speeches, a violent attack targeting a Jewish gathering in Boulder, Colorado left 8 people injured. Witnesses reported that the attacker was shouting “Free Palestine.” On May 21, a gunman outside a museum in Washington D.C. killed two staff members from the Israeli Embassy, also shouting the same slogan at the time.
Fetterman expressed that anti-Semitism is “out of control. Some people within our party have lost their stance – for me, that clear moral stance is firmly standing with Israel.”
Due to his unwavering support for Israel, Fetterman has faced criticism within the Democratic Party. Some progressive individuals oppose the war in Gaza due to the high number of Arab deaths.
McCormick shares the same stance as Fetterman on the issue of anti-Semitism. He also mentioned the efforts made by the United States to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza, stating that the demilitarization of Hamas is crucial for negotiations, without which an agreement cannot be reached.
“There are two things that must happen simultaneously,” McCormick said, “We need to continue to apply pressure on Hamas, dismantle their military capacity… you can’t live 600 meters away from those who want to slit your throat in the middle of the night.”
McCormick made these comments following his recent visit to Israel. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff rejected Hamas’ counterproposal during negotiations on May 31, calling it “completely unacceptable.”
McCormick emphasized that the U.S. needs to “continue to apply pressure on Hamas while providing aid.”
Both Fetterman and McCormick criticized Iran, viewing it as the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the war. Iran supports the terrorist organization Hamas but denies involvement in the attacks.
Fetterman mentioned recent media implications that the U.S. and Israel may jointly carry out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, stating, “We now have the opportunity to destroy their (Iran’s) nuclear facilities.”
“They are currently actively enriching uranium, reaching a concentration of 60%. I believe they may already have around 900 pounds of enriched uranium, just one step away from reaching 90% – weapon-grade level… Israel understands that we now have a window of opportunity to launch an attack.”
Former President Trump stated last week that he advised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu not to carry out a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities to allow the U.S. a chance to reach a nuclear deal with the Iranian regime.
“I said, ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to strike now,'” Trump said, highlighting ongoing “very good discussions” to ensure Iran’s nuclear program does not evolve into weapon production.