The continued pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations, according to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), are “working against peace in the Middle East.”
Fetterman has been vocal about his support for Israel. Most recently, he said that pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses were nothing more than “pup tents” for Hamas, a violent organization.
On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan questioned Fetterman about the protests on Sunday, specifically asking him if he thought it was antisemitic to fly the Palestinian flag during the demonstrations.
“No, I don’t think that … but I will, I will say that these kinds of protests haven’t been helpful. And ironically, they are actually working against peace in [the] Middle East as well,” he stated. “And it’s also very strange to me that now they’re not actually protesting for a cease-fire now, and there’s been a very valid cease-fire that’s been on the table now.”
“And Hamas has been refused to take that on, and I don’t know why we’re not — if we’re going to protesting why aren’t we protesting that they are demanding Hamas to take that kind of a cease-fire, and then that would end all of that — the trauma and the chaotic going on there in Gaza?” he continued.
To ensure the release of the hostages held by Hamas, the United States has been pressuring for a short-term cease-fire in Gaza.
The “time is now” for a cease-fire, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also stated that Hamas must accept Israel’s offer and “compromise.”
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On Sunday, Fetterman would not let up on his insistence that if Hamas agreed to free all the captives, the war could cease.
“Can’t forget that the situation right now could end right now, if Hamas just surrendered and they just sent all of those hostages home again. And that’s also the thing that I’ve been frustrated to is now, that those hostages should be really in front of the conversations about the situation in Gaza,” Fetterman continued.
