On Sunday, I reported that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a practicing Conservative Jew, was under attack for an article he had written for his college newspaper when he was 20, warning that the PA Arabs were going to sabotage any peace offer made by Israel. Now, at 51, and with a burning desire to be a heartbeat away from leading the free world, Shapiro has been trying to walk back his youthful analysis, astute as it may have been (Josh Shapiro Rejects his Zionist Ideas to Qualify for VP Pick).
Not enough, say progressive Democrats, who may be unable to bring in the crucial votes in any of the swing states, nor threaten Kamala Harris’s chances in the blue states. Still, they are closer than many in the party to the presumptive nominee and her political ally, former President Obama.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Shapiro has consistently voiced his opposition to antisemitism and expressed strong support for Israel. These stances have emerged as a significant point of contention now that he’s being considered as a potential running mate for Harris.
Earlier this year, Shapiro criticized universities for not adequately protecting Jewish students during demonstrations supporting Hamas following the October 7 atrocities. In an April CNN interview with Jake Tapper, Shapiro drew a controversial parallel between pro-Hamas protesters and the Ku Klux Klan, questioning whether similar behavior would be tolerated if demonstrators wore KKK attire.
Additionally, Shapiro backed proposed legislation in Pennsylvania aimed at sanctioning colleges that participate in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. This bill cleared the Senate in June and is currently under review by the House State Government Committee.
A New York Times report from last Friday described Shapiro’s appearance at Wissahickon High School in Philadelphia. There, he voiced enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris’s presidential nomination. The event, held in Shapiro’s home turf of Montgomery County, drew a supportive crowd with no signs of pro-Hamas protesters. Notably, the Democratic ticket needs to secure a significant victory margin in this county to clinch Pennsylvania in the November election.
But should Shapiro receive the VP nod, things are going to change radically for the governor of the most crucial swing state for the Harris campaign – Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes.
So far, opponents of Shapiro’s nomination have set up the No Genocide Josh website; run an online petition to reject his nomination; circulated anti-Shapiro articles on social media; and generated other online provocations to attract the interest of young Democrats who just succeeded in ridding the DNC of Joe Biden.
