
Jewish Voter Guide
John Fetterman
U.S. Senate · PA · Democrat
Summary
John Fetterman, born in 1969, is currently serving as the U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania since 2022. His seat will be up for election in 2028.
A member of the Democratic Party, Fetterman served as Mayor of Braddock, PA from 2006 to 2019. Prior to that, he served in the AmeriCorps and earned an MPP from Harvard.
Fetterman ran for Pennsylvania’s Senate seat in 2016, finishing third in the Democratic primary. He ran for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in 2018, defeating a field of candidates that included then-incumbent Mike Stack in the Democratic primary.
Below is Senator John Fetterman’s voting record and public positions on issues important to the Jewish community.
Since the October 7 Hamas massacre, Fetterman has stood firmly with Israel, blaming Hamas (and Iran) for ongoing violence and declaring opposition to turning Israel into a “pariah state
He champions full funding for Israel’s defense systems, including the Iron Dome, and supported a bipartisan cloture vote sanctioning the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrants targeting Israeli leaders—one of only a few Senate Democrats to do so en.wikipedia.org.
Fetterman has advocated striking Iran’s nuclear facilities—calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”.
Senator Fetterman co-sponsored a bipartisan Senate Resolution (S.Res. 288) denouncing increasing antisemitic incidents in the U.S., citing violent episodes in Boulder, Pittsburgh, and Colorado
In Jerusalem and the U.S., he has spoken out against antisemitic rhetoric on the political left, criticizing academic “monocultures” that vilify Zionism and intimidate Jewish students.
Senator Fetterman has been vocal about protecting Jewish students on college campuses, asserting that protests targeting them, like tent camps, cross the line from speech to intimidation.
He argued that, in the aftermath of the October 7 terror attack, recognizing a Palestinian state would be rewarding Hamas.
Senator Fetterman emphasizes that support for Israel “deserves much better from my party” and criticizes Democrats for neglecting Jewish concerns.
Positions
Per-issue alignment with the American Jewish Congress’s positions. Every claim links to its source. No aggregate score or grade.
Combatting Antisemitism
Speaking out against antisemitism
AlignedSpoke Out Against Anti Semitism
Strong stance on antisemitism
U.S.–Israel Relationship
Two-state solution
OpposedDoes Not Support the Two State Solution
Position on the two-state solutionU.S. embassy in Jerusalem
AlignedSupported the U.S. Embassy Move to Jerusalem
Iron Dome funding
AlignedSupported Funding Israels Iron Dome
U.S. security aid to Israel
AlignedOpposes Conditioning US Security Aid to Israel
BDS & Anti-Israel Sentiment
Anti-BDS measures
AlignedOpposes BDS
Opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement
Sources
- Opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement https://jewishinsider.com/2022/04/john-fetterman-says-hell-lean-in-on-u-s-israel-relationship-as-senator/
- Senate Resolution S.Res. 288 https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/press-releases/pennsylvania-senators-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-to-condemn-antisemitic-violence-across-the-united-states/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Strong stance on antisemitism https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-john-fetterman-dave-mccormick-colleagues-introduce-resolution-condemning-antisemitic-violence/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Once-in-a-generation opportunity to strike Iran https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/fetterman-i-fully-support-partnering-with-israel-to-bomb-irans-nuclear-facilities/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Praise for U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_strikes_on_Iranian_nuclear_sites?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Critique of Democrats who “lost the argument” https://www.aol.com/news/john-fetterman-hypes-israel-opportunity-162407374.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- Position on the two-state solution https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/recognizing-palestinian-state-rewards-hamas-fetterman-says-in-israel/
A note on methodology. This guide is published as an educational reference. The American Jewish Congress does not endorse candidates and does not publish aggregate scores. If you spot a position that needs an update or a better source, please reach the office.
