Fetterman blasts ‘germ of antisemitism’ in college protests, ‘living in a pup tent for Hamas’ not helpful

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Fetterman 'not wrong' to compare anti-Israel protests to Charlottesville, CNN's Dana Bash says

CNN's Dana Bash said on Monday that Sen. John Fetterman was "not wrong" in comparing the anti-Israel protests at Columbia to Charlottesville. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., in a new interview, blasted the "germ of antisemitism" seen in anti-Israel protests unfolding on American college campuses.

"It’s a great American value to protest, but I don’t believe living in a pup tent for Hamas is really helpful," Fetterman said on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday."

"I want to be clear, there is a germ of antisemitism in these protests, and sometimes it flares up. And again, including one of the leaders in Columbia who said some just awful things, talking about ‘Well, they’re lucky we’re not killing Zionists’ and things like that, and he defends himself by saying, ‘Well, those were taken out of context.’" 

"And I’m like, that’s very similar to the way the college presidents, the same kind of language, and those kind of monocultures that create situations and that replicates. And now it’s not a surprise when you’re kind of seeing this manifest itself in a campus like this," Fetterman said. 

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Sen. John Fetterman walks to the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The senator seemed to be referencing Khymani James, a Columbia protest leader who went viral online for suggesting the murder of Zionists, whom he likened to "White supremacists" and "Nazis."

Fetterman reiterated support for Israel’s right to defend itself as a nation, going further to say the Jewish state also has the right "to go after and eliminate Hamas, or at least force them to surrender." 

An anti-Israel encampment at Columbia University persists for the second week on April 27, 2024, at the Ivy League school's New York City campus. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"I’m confused why we’re not talking about that more," the Pennsylvania Democrat said. "And if you are going to protest, why aren’t we protesting… I can’t end that war, Joe Biden can’t end that war, Netanyahu can’t end that war, but Hamas could end it right now, immediately. They could release the last hostages, and they could surrender."

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"And all of the misery and the death and destruction ends right there, too. So, for true peace, you cannot allow Hamas to function," he added. "It’s very reasonable to make sure that Hamas needs to be neutralized." 

Fetterman recalled how before the primaries he said, "I support peace and I support a two-state solution, but if the stuff hits the fan, I’m going to lean in on Israel, and that’s exactly what I’ve done."

The "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University on April 27, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Since enduring a stroke, Fetterman said he’s become more empathetic, especially when it comes to people with disabilities. The senator used a speech-to-text app on a tablet sitting on the studio table to better comprehend questions during the interview. 

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Nodding to newfound support from some Republicans, Fetterman added, "I’ve been saying that for years… I really don’t identify myself as progressive. It’s not that I’ve changed, but that that word has changed."