General Discussion

What is true is tjay some like Mamdani have said they agree to Israel's right to exist as a Democratic state with rights for all. Note this NOT mean they support attacking Israel.

The issue of Israel is as tricky an issue as any I can think of. There is a "connection" to Israel through religion for most Americans. For those of us baby boomers, there is additionally that it was born out of holocaust and was a brave little country fighting to survive. Although I know it wasn't always so, for the entire time I followed politics, Israel has been supported by both parties.

After the horror of October 7th, I doubt anyone was surprised that Israel responded. However when it continued with the ferocity it did and entire parts of Gaza were reduced to rubble and the fighting continued, there came a point where we needed to condition our support. Biden/Harris was attacked by the right as abandoning Israel and by the left because we didn't stop Israel.

There was and is no position that could have pleased everyone. Current calls to stop providing offensive weapons, which is consistent with the Leahy law, is controversial and likely what Fetterman is speaking of, but if it is limited to offensive weapons it is not about Israel defending itself.

The idea that creating a large buffer in Lebanon, razing entire communities and bombing adjacent communities and pushing Trump to join them in a war against Iran are things Netanyahu defines as protecting Israel that are more accurately described as aggressive. From his votes, Fetterman may agree with Netanyahu.

This while many people, who could be described as liberal Zionists (like J Street) that these actions and the expanding settlements in the West Bank have destroyed any possibility of Israel being a democratic Jewish state with equal rights for all.

As to Fetterman, it is only in Presidential elections that parties have platforms. He is up for election in 2028. He might be surprised that neither party will want him. This might not be really about Israel. If he recognizes that he would lose the Democratic party, he might see that his only potential Trump card (pun intended) would be if we win enough Senate seats to have 51 in January 2027. However, no matter what the Republicans promise, I would bet by the time of his primary, he will have a well funded opponent and weak support from the RSC.