Fetterman, McCormick react to 'astonishing' Boulder attack on pro-Israel group: 'Rank antisemitism'

Battleground Pennsylvania senators - Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick - both spoke out against antisemitism during a bipartisan forum in response to a recent attack on a pro-Israel gathering in Colorado. 

"This is something that I'm terribly worried about, the growth of antisemitism here in our country is something I know Sen. Fetterman and I share," McCormick said in the sixth installment of The Senate Project series, organized by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and aired by FOX Nation.

"We see this deeply seated in our society," said McCormick, who recently returned from a trip to Israel. "And it's something that we have to stand up against with complete moral clarity. It's something that we have to push back, and it's something we have to, require, a mandate that our institutions extricate themselves of antisemitism."

Fetterman also condemned the Colorado attack, along with the other high-profile attacks against Jewish people in recent weeks, and pointed out that he is at odds with many in his party on the issue. 

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"What happened yesterday in Boulder? It's astonishing," Fetterman said. " You know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism, it's out of control, and for me and as my friend just pointed out, this is just rampant across all the universities for all of these places, too. I mean, we really need to call it what it is. And now and for me, politically, being very, very firmly on the side of Israel, that kind of put parts of my party at odds for that."

Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI called a "targeted terror attack" in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend after he allegedly attacked a pro-Israel group. 

Fox News Digital reported that Soliman is in the country illegally from Egypt.

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"Now we really lost," Fetterman continued, "we've lost the argument and - parts of my party, and for me - that moral clarity, it's really firmly on Israel. And of course, we can all agree the tragedy in Gaza. Nobody wants that. But who does want that? And that's Hamas. And if you have been troubled, as I am, the death and the misery, you know, I think we should blame Iran and Hamas, and other people blame Israel. I refuse to allow try to turn Israel into a pariah state."

McCormick went on to say that "there needs to be constant pressure on Hamas, to destroy the military capability of Hamas."

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The Senate Project series brings together sitting senators from opposing parties for civil dialogue about current political issues, with the goal of identifying solutions and bridging partisan divides. The series reflects the shared mission of the Kennedy Institute and Hatch Foundation to advance bipartisanship.

"Vigorous and open dialogue is an essential part of our democracy and having these two senators from opposite sides of the aisle discuss important issues of the day is a valuable contribution to the public discourse," Kennedy Institute Chairman Bruce A. Percelay said in a statement.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.