Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a silver pager to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Wednesday as a thank-you gift for his support of Israel.
Fetterman, who has been a vocal supporter of Israel, received the gift during a visit with his wife, Gisele, to the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, was also present.
The pager is an ode to Israeli attacks in Lebanon and Syria in September 2024, in which Israel triggered explosions of hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the militant group known as Hezbollah. The attack killed 13 people, some of whom were children, and injured thousands more.
“During the warm and friendly meeting, the Prime Minister and his wife thanked Senator Fetterman and his wife for their consistent support of Israel since the outbreak of the war,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “Prime Minister Netanyahu gave Senator Fetterman a silver pager, inspired by ‘Operation Pager’, which changed the face of the war in Lebanon.”
Netanyahu also gifted a golden pager to President Donald Trump during a visit to the White House last month. Trump called the attacks a “great operation” after receiving the gift.
This week, Israeli strikes in Lebanon threatened a fragile ceasefire deal there. Meanwhile, Israel embarked on a ground operation and terminated the ceasefire in Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians. Netanyahu said Tuesday the attack was “only the beginning.”
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In response to the broken ceasefire, Fetterman posted on X on Tuesday saying, “I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel.”
Israel has unleashed an unrelenting bombardment of attacks on Gaza, a region it has occupied for decades, since October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked and abducted more than 200 people, holding them hostage. Roughly two dozen people are believed to still be held alive by Hamas.
Since the start of the war, 48,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health officials, and in addition to military action, Israel’s decision to cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies has put more lives at risk. Multiple entities, including the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said that Israel’s attacks on Gaza are consistent with genocide.
