On the solemn anniversary of the October 7 terror massacre, Senator John Fetterman told viewers on Greta Van Susteren’s show that Israel now has a real opening for peace — if the world finally backs Israel’s terms instead of rewarding terror. His comments were not the usual Washington equivocation; they were a blunt reminder that peace must be built on security and the return of hostages, not on concessions to those who celebrated slaughter.
Fetterman has repeatedly stood apart from his party by insisting that recognition and rewards for Palestinian statehood cannot come while Hamas holds hostages and remains a functioning terror apparatus. He warned that moves to legitimize a Palestinian state without first securing the hostages only embolden Hamas and rewrite the narrative to reward brutality. That plainspoken realism should be the baseline for any American policy toward the region.
He also blasted the “Free Palestine” crowd at home for turning outrage into a dangerous cult that too often excuses or downplays violence, a point that hits hard when Americans are seeing pro-terror rhetoric increasingly normalized on college campuses and in mainstream discourse. Conservatives have been warning for years that moral equivalence with Hamas would lead to more bloodshed; Fetterman calling out the cultish behavior is a welcome, overdue rebuke from the Left’s own ranks. This isn’t about silencing protest — it’s about refusing to confer legitimacy on murder.
Make no mistake: the whole peace argument collapses until the remaining hostages are returned and Hamas is stripped of the ability to terrorize Israel or the region. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have made clear that the fate of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas’s terror infrastructure are nonnegotiable pillars for any lasting peace, and Americans who care about honor and decency should not accept anything less. If we truly want peace, we demand the release of the innocents first.
This is the moment for peace through strength — not appeasement masquerading as diplomacy. President Trump’s assertive diplomacy and the bipartisan Senate effort to condemn Hamas have shifted the space for serious negotiations, and Republicans should press that advantage until Hamas is dismantled and the hostages come home. Weakness only guarantees more October 7ths; strength buys an honest shot at a durable settlement.
For patriotic Americans, Fetterman’s stance is a welcome reminder that courage and principle still cross party lines when the nation and its allies are under assault. He has chosen to side with victims and with the only reliable U.S. partner in the region capable of defending Western values — and that kind of bipartisan backbone deserves applause, not scorn. Voters should remember which leaders put security and human life before woke narratives.
If Washington wants to be on the right side of history, it will follow the sensible prescription Fetterman laid out: demand the return of every hostage, refuse to reward Hamas with legitimacy, and support Israel’s right to defend itself until the threat is gone. Hardworking Americans know peace that costs nothing is a lie; real peace requires resolve, American leadership, and giving our friends the backing they need to finish the job.
