John Fetterman Photo at March for Israel Goes Viral

A photo of Senator John Fetterman draped in an Israel flag while shaking a man's hand has gone viral online.

The Democratic senator joined almost 300,000 people who had gathered on Tuesday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in support of the Jewish state as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Fetterman is the junior senator for Pennsylvania, a key swing state that President Joe Biden won in 2020 that could be crucial to his reelection bid in 2024, when he may once again face former President Donald Trump.

Since the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, Fetterman has been outspoken in his backing for Israel, with his position having garnered criticism and support within his party. Hamas said the attack was retribution for worsening conditions for Palestinians living under occupation, and it led to Israel declaring war on the organization.

Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and extensive ground operations. At least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, with more than 200 taken hostage, while more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, with many more injured and huge numbers displaced, according to the Associated Press.

The photo of Fetterman was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, by user @safier. The caption reads: "'Of course I'm here, how could I not!' - @SenFettermanPA at today's #MarchForIsrael."

Newsweek reached out to a Fetterman representative on Wednesday for comment.

The post has over 886,000 views and 10,000 likes—and people are divided in the comments.

"Outstanding! Every week Fetterman shows up with a pleasant surprise in my Twitter feed," one person wrote.

"I don't agree with Fetterman on most things, but I honor his devotion to Israel and his refusal to abandon them in the face of leftist antisemitism," said another.

A third added: "I need Fetterman to stop being so cool. It's very confusing."

However, not everyone supported his appearance at the rally.

"Gross," one person simply wrote.

"What a disgusting Oger," penned another.

Fetterman has been a popular figure among left-leaning Democrats, but his stance on Israel has angered some of the people who previously supported him. On November 9, he was booed by veterans protesting outside the U.S. Capitol in favor of a cease-fire.

Footage of the incident shared to X showed demonstrators from the group About Face: Veterans Against the War booing as Fetterman waved a miniature Israeli flag.

The group was chanting: "What do we want? Cease-fire! When do we want it? Now!" At one point, a man can be heard saying: "Shame."

This came after he faced backlash on social media for a post he made on X on November 7 that revealed he is displaying posters of people being held hostage by Hamas in his office.

"In my front office I have displayed the posters of the innocent Israelis kidnapped by Hamas. They will stay up until every single person is safely returned home," he posted.

He also angered people on October 18 when he said he didn't support a cease-fire amid the ongoing conflict. He wrote: "We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a cease-fire after Hamas is neutralized."