Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is openly questioning whether he is still welcome in the Democratic Party, expressing growing frustration over what he views as the party’s increasingly anti-Israel direction while Republicans continue encouraging him to switch sides.

In an interview with NBC News, Fetterman suggested that some members of his own party appear eager to push him out because of his outspoken support for Israel and his willingness to break with Democratic leadership on key issues.

“If the Democratic caucus doesn’t want me, they could just let me know,” Fetterman said, adding that he is troubled by “the very anti-Israel party that we’re becoming.”

The Pennsylvania Democrat has become one of the most vocal pro-Israel voices in his party, repeatedly condemning Hamas, defending Israel’s military campaign, and criticizing progressive Democrats who have called for cutting off U.S. military aid to the Jewish state. His positions have increasingly placed him at odds with the party’s activist base.

His latest remarks come as Republican lawmakers continue making public and private appeals for him to leave the Democratic Party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans would welcome Fetterman into the GOP, while other Republican senators have likewise praised his willingness to challenge his own party on issues such as Israel, immigration, and energy policy.

Despite the overtures, Fetterman has stopped short of saying he intends to switch parties. Instead, he has made clear that his continued membership in the Democratic Party hinges on one issue above all others: Israel.

Earlier this month, Fetterman warned that he would leave if Democrats formally embraced an anti-Israel platform.

“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,” he said.

Fetterman has pointed to a growing shift within the Democratic Party following votes by more than 100 House Democrats to block billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, saying he believes support for America’s closest Middle East ally should remain a core Democratic principle.

His willingness to challenge progressive orthodoxy has also made him a target on the left. Progressive activists and candidates have sharply criticized his positions on Israel, while some have accused him of abandoning the movement that helped elect him.

For now, however, Fetterman insists he has not made any decision to leave the Democratic Party. Even as Republicans continue to court him, he has maintained that his immediate focus remains representing Pennsylvania, while warning that the party’s trajectory on Israel could ultimately determine whether he stays.

{Matzav.com}