Fetterman asks why protesters do not demand Hamas surrenders and release hostages
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) questioned pro-Palestinian protesters during a press conference Wednesday, asking why they do not demand Hamas’s surrender instead of calling for a ceasefire.
Fetterman, who has been a loyal supporter of Israel in its war with Hamas, said the conflict should have ended a long time ago and encouraged Palestinian supporters to demand Hamas’s surrender and the release of its prisoners.
“I think I’ve met with six family victim groups during all of this,” Fetterman said. “And, you know, that should have stopped because everyone should have been home long ago. And I don’t understand why, to anyone that is protesting or demanding a ceasefire, let’s be honest here, why aren’t you protesting to bring them all home right now? Why aren’t you demanding that Hamas surrenders as well?”
Hamas is keeping more than 100 people hostage, and at least 30 have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
The senator said he supports a two-state solution and an end to the conflict but that he does not believe it would be possible until Hamas is “eliminated.”
“I support a two-state solution as well,” Fetterman said at the bipartisan press conference organized by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). “But that is meaningless until Hamas is effectively eliminated because now Hamas disavows and rejects a two-state solution. They are committed to the destruction of Israel. I would never want to negotiate with a group that’s committed to my death as well.”
Democrats have been fractured in their response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which was the deadliest single event for Jews since the Holocaust. While Fetterman and President Joe Biden have been consistent defenders of Israel’s right to defend itself, progressive Democrats have voiced steady criticism of the Jewish state’s response.
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Fetterman was one of two Democrats who refused to co-sponsor Sen. Brian Schatz’s (D-HI) resolution reiterating that U.S. policy favors a two-state solution for Israel and Gaza two weeks ago.
Support for a two-state solution has been popular for decades. However, some of its supporters are skeptical that it is a feasible goal as long as Hamas remains in power in Gaza.
Emily Jacobs contributed to this report.
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