John Fetterman's Unexpected Shift: From Progressive To Pro-Israel Advocate

In the 2022 election cycle, you would have been hard-pressed to find a member of our Jewish Orthodox community in Pittsburgh voting for John Fetterman over Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania's Senate election. While Jews as a whole remain firmly ensconced in the Democratic Party, Orthodox Jews in recent years have shifted toward the Republican Party, mostly in response to how much the Democrats have been co-opted by the anti-Israel and increasingly antisemitic far-Left. Yet just one year later, Sen. Fetterman was honored at the Orthodox community's annual menorah lighting, receiving fresh baked goods with handwritten thank you letters and long lines of men in yarmulkas lining up to greet him. Many local leaders came, but the excitement around Senator Fetterman outshined them all.

What explains this 180? Since October 7, the day Hamas terrorists launched a massacre of Israelis, Sen. Fetterman has emerged as an unexpected and glorious surprise. Fetterman came up politically in the progressive wing of the Democrat Party, where the likes of Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar have set the tone as decidedly anti-Israel. In the Democratic Senate primary, Fetterman ran to the Left of his more centrist opponent, Connor Lamb. He supports progressive platforms such as universal health care, legalizing marijuana, and abolishing the Senate filibuster. In 2018, Bernie Sanders called Fetterman an "outstanding progressive," and Fetterman would introduce himself at political events as "a Democrat and a progressive."

While on the campaign trail, Fetterman affirmed his support for Israel, but fellow progressives still assumed he would walk in lockstep with his comrades on the Left when crunch time came. These same progressives now make up the worst elements of the anti-Israel and antisemitic movement in America. They fill the streets of our big cities by the thousands, calling, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

Yet instead of caving or pandering to his fellow travelers, Fetterman has been broadcasting his unapologetic support for Israel from the proverbial rooftops. He has been consistent in his opposition to a ceasefire in the current war Israel is waging to eradicate Hamas, which would hand Hamas a win. He filled the walls outside his Senate office with photos of the hostages taken by Hamas, draped himself in an Israeli flag, and hung one on the wall behind his desk.

While other Democrats keep trying to throw a bone to their liberal base, Fetterman has adopted a "f**k that" attitude that is as courageous as it is refreshing—much to the dismay of his biggest fans and even his staff. Another profile in courage is Ritchie Torres from New York's 15th Congressional District. Even before Oct. 7, Torres proudly declared himself a pro-Israel progressive—an oxymoron in today's political climate.

Since Oct. 7, he has ratcheted up his defense of Israel, regularly speaking out against its critics on X. He entered a public feud with the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) when they romanticized Hamas' terrorism as "resistance." He also routinely clashes with Squad members over his support for Israel.

Fetterman and Torres