Valentine's is a day to celebrate love. This post is to show love for John Fetterman. His backstory on Israel is one you probably don't know, and it explains why his support is unlike anything we've seen in a long time, if ever.
Almost every pro-Israel user on Twitter/X remembers Fetterman draping himself in the Israeli flag at a massive pro-Israel rally. And who could forget him climbing on his roof to wave the Israeli flag to taunt the pro-Hamas "protesters" who descended upon his home?
But the background is deeply moving. The origin story of Fetterman's profound love for the Jewish people -- like so many great love stories -- was borne out of tragedy.
On October 27, 2018, a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Shabbat morning, murdering 11 and wounding six.
Fetterman lived a short drive from Tree of Life, and he was called almost immediately after the authorities knew about the shootings. At the time, Fetterman was in the home stretch of his ultimately successful campaign for Lt. Governor.
Within moments of learning about the mass murder,
@JohnFetterman did something unthinkable. He personally called his Republican opponent in that race, Jeff Bartos, who is Jewish.
As Bartos told Politico, Fetterman told him, "I’m so sorry to be the one to call you, but I just got off the phone with the governor. There’s a shooting happening right now at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. It’s going to be bad."
Perhaps most amazing is this little nugget, revealing how little exposure Fetterman apparently had until that point to the Jewish community. Bartos explained that he called Fetterman back later that same day and said, "I’m calling to let you know that you’re a mensch. And he chuckled and said, ‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'"
He didn't know the word "mensch." Let that sink in.
Just five years before
@SenFettermanPA became one of the greatest champions of Israel and the Jewish people, he didn't know perhaps one of the most common Yiddish expressions -- one that even most non-Jewish Americans know.
One of the ugliest memes out there is that Fetterman supports Israel because of -- wait for it -- Jewish money. That's a hateful two-fer, cheapening the powerful roots of Fetterman's beliefs while (as usual) trotting out the ugly trope that Jews just buy support.
I hate that this is even necessary to explain, but Jews have low enough standards that we are easily impressed. Think of it like "Dayenu," the famous song recited at Passover Seder each year. Basically, it means that if G-d had done any one of these things, it would have been "dayenu" -- enough for us.
If Fetterman had just voted to support pro-Israel resolutions after Oct 7 and given a few milquetoast speeches, dayenu.
If Fetterman had just stuck it to those tearing down posters of hostages by wallpapering his Senate office with those same posters, dayenu.
If Fetterman had just told
@jaketapper on CNN that he didn't understand why it's controversial to support Israel as the Jewish state is fighting to eliminate Hamas, dayenu.
If Fetterman had simply highlighted that those protesting for a ceasefire are not also calling for the hostages to be released or for Hamas to surrender, dayenu.
If Fetterman had only gone back to his Senate office and come out waving a small Israeli flag to taunt pro-Hamas "protesters" as they were getting arrested by Capitol Police, dayenu.
Of all his words, though, Fetterman showed his simple greatness when he said that Israel has the "imperative to destroy Hamas."
There are no truer words as Israel somberly prepares to enter Rafah to strike one -- hopefully last -- mighty blow against Hamas.
I hope that after people read -- and share -- this post, they will join me in declaring
@SenFettermanPA as the Valentine for Israel, the Jewish people, and the many millions of righteous supporters of the Jewish state.
Even that would not be "dayenu" for all Fetterman has done since Oct 7, but it's the best place to start on Valentine's.