John Fetterman and Jon Stewart debate Israel as Democratic red line

A Republican Jewish organization praised Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., for his “guts” after talk show host Jon Stewart clashed with Fetterman over his “red line” support for Israel. The senator called out the Democratic Party’s increasing hostility toward the Jewish state.

“So, you could agree with them 90%, but Israel is the red line?” Stewart asked Fetterman on “The Weekly Show” podcast.

“Absolutely, I can’t ever turn my back to Israel after where it’s at.” Fetterman answered.

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The Republican Jewish Coalition commented to Fox News Digital: “Here’s some free advice, for a Democratic Party that has totally lost its mind and is hemorrhaging Jewish support: don’t be a clown like Jon Stewart, have some guts like John Fetterman.”

“I mean no disrespect on this, but that is not our country,” Stewart said in the exchange. “You’re saying that these candidates may have great ideas for our economy. They may want to do the exact same thing you want to do, in terms of getting money out of politics. They may want to increase the social safety net. They may want to change the balance of power from capital back to labor, but if they don’t agree with you on Israel, you don’t want them in your party?”

Fetterman asked Stewart to give him some examples, to which Stewart listed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as Democratic figures who have criticized Israel. Fetterman clarified that he meant politicians who are members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) should run as their own party rather than “colonizing” the Democratic Party.

Stewart dismissed this argument, comparing DSA members to Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus.

“And I’m assuming there’s probably things in the Democratic platform that you might disagree with, but you don’t disavow the entire thing. You’re literally saying, ‘We can all have discussions, except when it comes to Israel,’ which is not America. It seems like a weird line to draw,” Stewart said.

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“Well, I don’t think that’s weird. I think what history demonstrates is that when people or governments turn their back to the Jewish community, things end really badly,” Fetterman fired back.

“The Jewish community and Israel are not the same thing, brother man. That is not the same thing,” Stewart said.

Fetterman previously suggested that the Democratic Party turning its back on Israel could be a breaking point for him leaving the party at the Hill Nation Summit last month.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn its back to Israel,” he said. “If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.”

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Speaking with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Fetterman said the direction of his party has become “troubling” and pointed to recent primaries as the latest test of whether Democrats will continue embracing candidates aligned with the party’s progressive flank.

“I see the midterms right now that the more radical, the more anti-Israel, and the people have turned Israel as to the ultimate litmus … When you have Gov. [Gavin] Newsom describing Israel as an apartheid state. He knows better, that that’s not true,” Fetterman said.

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He added, “Those are core values…Like I said, you just can’t pander to those kinds of people.”

Fox News’ Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.