Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., sharply criticized what he described as an anti-Israel faction within the Democratic Party. Fetterman’s comments came in response to remarks from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who suggested the United States should consider placing conditions on aid to Israel, The New York Post reported.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ocasio-Cortez said U.S. “unconditional” support for Israel had helped facilitate what she characterized as a “genocide” in Gaza.
Fetterman rejected that description. “There was never any genocide in Gaza, absolutely, and there shouldn’t ever be any conditions for aid for Israel, because they were in an existential war,” Fetterman said during an appearance on “Saturday in America.”
“That’s part of the problem with the very anti-Israel part of my party,” he added. Fetterman also criticized Democrats he believes have aligned themselves with anti-Israel activists.
“Why would you align yourself [with] raging anti-Semites and very pro-Hamas people like Hasan Piker?” Fetterman said. “There’s a rot in my party standing with pro-Hamas people like that,” he added.
Fox News Digital reported that it reached out to Hasan Piker and Ocasio-Cortez for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Ocasio-Cortez and several progressive Democrats have called for conditions on U.S. aid to Israel following its war with Hamas.
Fetterman questioned why Ocasio-Cortez has not been as vocal in criticizing Iran.
As of Jan. 25, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that more than 5,800 people had been killed during the Iranian government’s crackdown on anti-regime protests.
“Why is she so eager to criticize and find a way to criticize Israel? But I don’t really recall them saying anything as Iran was executing thousands and thousands of their protesters,” Fetterman said.
The exchange highlights an ongoing divide within the Democratic Party over U.S. policy toward Israel.
While many progressive lawmakers have advocated for conditioning aid, Fetterman has repeatedly broken with members of his party to express strong support for Israel.
Other Democrats attending the Munich Security Conference included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly.
Political observers have noted that the annual conference often serves as a global stage for American leaders, including those who may be considering future national campaigns.
Fetterman broke with Democratic Party leadership last  week, signaling his support for voter identification laws. The Pennsylvania Democrat said he does not view showing ID to vote as unreasonable.
This statement has immediately set him apart from Senate leaders such as Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, who have labeled voter ID requirements as a form of voter suppression.
“As a Democrat, I do not believe that it’s unreasonable to show ID just to vote,” Fetterman said. “It’s not a radical idea for regular Americans to show your ID to vote, and those things are not Jim Crow or anything.”
The senator referenced Wisconsin’s elections, where voters approved voter ID measures while simultaneously electing a liberal state Supreme Court justice. He argued that voter identification laws do not inherently benefit one party over another and that Democrats should not treat the concept as politically toxic.
Fetterman’s comments come as the Senate faces a tense standoff over Department of Homeland Security funding and as Republicans push to attach election integrity provisions to must-pass spending legislation.
Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, are pressing for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a birth certificate or passport—to register to vote in federal elections.
Trump has called on Senate Republicans to resurrect the “standing filibuster,” an older, more grueling procedure that forces senators to physically speak on the floor to block legislation, rather than rely on the modern “silent” version that stalls bills without debate.