Sen. John Fetterman was mocked on Thursday following his threat to leave the Democratic Party as more than 100 House Democrats voted to cut off US military aid to Israel over its crimes against Palestine.

On Wednesday, 103 of the 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted for an amendment introduced by outgoing Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky that would have eliminated the $3.3 billion in annual foreign military financing provided to Israel’s military.

While the amendment ultimately did not garner enough votes to pass, the record number of Democrats willing to put an end to more than half a century of practically unconditional US support for Israel was viewed by Palestine defenders as a sign of hope—and by Israel backers as a cause for alarm. Fetterman has clearly positioned himself among the latter.

“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 their back to Israel,” he said during an interview at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington, DC, which he headlined along with Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator.

“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,” the senator vowed.

Responding to Fetterman’s threat, journalist Zaid Jilani quipped on social media, “What region of Pennsylvania is Israel located in?”

“If he’s willing to throw the entire control of the Senate to the other party over Israel, then he’s dismissing the interests of his own state and constituents,” Jilani added.

Fetterman said Wednesday that he “can’t understand why the Democratic Party” was becoming increasingly critical of Israel.

In addition to Israel facing an ongoing genocide case filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague over its conduct in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, his former defense minister, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, including murder and forced starvation.

Fetterman joined Republicans in slamming the ICC move, saying, “Fuck that” to the warrants. He also warmly embraced Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog—who is the subject of criminal complaints in Switzerland for allegedly inciting genocide and crimes against humanity—and reportedly urged in Herzog in private to pardon Netanyahu, who is on trial in his country for alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

United Nations experts, dozens of nations—either individually or as members of regional blocs—as well as Israeli and international scholars and human rights groups have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, as have more than 20 of Fetterman’s congressional colleagues. Israel’s illegal occupation, settler colonization, and apartheid have been condemned by the ICJ and others. Israel also faces accusations of ethnic cleansing and de facto annexation in the illegally occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Yet for Fetterman, the problem for Democrats is “the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries.”

“It’s becoming more anti-Israel and hostile" to Israel supporters, he argued on Wednesday, singling out Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan progressive seeking the Democratic nomination for US Senate who called Israel a “rogue state” that is committing “genocide and apartheid,” while urging an end to “unilateral blank checks” for the key ally.

“If El-Sayed wins, then that puts Michigan much more in play for us and would require us to spend more money," Fetterman said. “What’s defined El-Sayed is the more anti-Israel and hostile-to-Israel thing.”

In addition to his staunch support of Israel, Fetterman has been criticized for his backing of President Donald Trump’s xenophobic immigration policies, his willingness to vote with Republicans on funding bills, his support for Trump nominees, and frequent criticism of progressive Democrats.

On Wednesday, The Intercept reported that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow “gave the maximum allowed contribution” to Fetterman’s campaign during the current election cycle.

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