Shapiro’s Response to Israel-Hamas War in the Spotlight

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) stance on the war between Israel and Hamas is under particular scrutiny amid a Democratic divide over the war, as Vice President Harris considers adding him to her ticket.

Shapiro has emerged as the leading vice presidential contender because of his experience in the key state, which carries 19 Electoral College votes. In addition, Shapiro’s allies point to his success with voters outside the Democratic camp.

However, some progressives believe the governor’s response to pro-Palestinian protests in response to the war could end up alienating the party’s left wing despite Harris’ recent successful efforts to unify Democrats.

Meanwhile, Shapiro’s allies and defenders note that the governor’s position on the war is similar to that of most other top choices under consideration, with the only quality that sets him apart from the others being his observant Jewish identity.

“We have a real opportunity to win the election and the idea that they are now trying to divide us because Josh is the only Jewish person who could be vice president continues the unfortunate division that we have seen in the party since October 7th,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who is also Jewish and is not endorsing any specific vice presidential candidate.

Shapiro had been seen for years as a rising star in the party, developing a reputation as a moderate with broad appeal to swing voters while championing key liberal priorities like protecting abortion rights and raising the minimum wage.

Strategists backing Shapiro said the governor’s widespread popularity, including an approval rating well above sea level, would be an asset to the ticket.

Harris is aware of the risk of appearing too progressive as Republicans try to cast her as to the left of Biden, and Shapiro’s moderate reputation could help her compared to other running mate choices.

“While I think progressives view Shapiro as too conservative, (Minnesota Gov. Tim) Walz might be a little too progressive for independents,” said a former Harris Senate aide.

Meanwhile, former President Trump weighed in on the debate, telling Fox News that if Harris chooses Shapiro, “she’s going to lose the Palestinian vote.”

But former Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman TJ Rooney noted that some progressive resistance to Shapiro’s policies isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the vice presidential candidate.

“Sometimes the fights that people pick are fights that they’re not going to win in the public eye,” Rooney said. “As far as Josh’s reputation as a moderate political figure who can add value in places like southwestern Pennsylvania … getting yelled at by people on the far left isn’t going to hurt him. It almost bolsters his credibility in some important circles of the Democratic Party and beyond.”

But progressive and pro-Palestinian segments of the party have opposed Shapiro as a running mate, citing a few issues, but primarily his position on Israel.

Following the October 7 attacks on Israel and the pro-Palestinian protests that followed in the United States, Shapiro became one of the most prominent political voices speaking out against rising anti-Semitism.

Shapiro gave his opinion following a December House hearing in which three university presidents, including one from the University of Pennsylvania, were questioned about campus anti-Semitic policies and what counts as harassment. He criticized the testimony of the University of Pennsylvania president, in which she did not specify whether calling for genocide against Jewish students violated university policy.

In April, he said anti-Semitism and vandalism had “no place” in Pennsylvania after a swastika was spray-painted on a synagogue.

His criticism of the University of Pennsylvania president has increased pressure for her to resign in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests on campus. He also recently updated the code of conduct for state employees to prevent them from engaging in “outrageous” behavior, which some have interpreted as barring them from participating in such protests, though a spokesman for the governor said employees could still participate in First Amendment activities.

“He seems to have gone above and beyond when you compare him to governors like (Illinois Gov. J.B.) Pritzker and Walz, who are in this conversation,” said one progressive strategist, referring to Shapiro’s other running mates, the former of whom is also Jewish.

“It brings to the attention of people in the Palestinian movement and progressives in general why this Democratic governor is joining with people like Elise Stefanik in criticizing the president of the University of Pennsylvania. Why is the Democratic governor repeating certain lines that you actually associate more with Republicans on this issue?” the strategist added.

On Friday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that as a 20-year-old student at the University of Rochester, Shapiro wrote in an op-ed for the school newspaper that he believed peace would “never come” to the Middle East. Shapiro’s spokesman Manuel Bonder noted that the governor’s views on the issue have since “evolved to the position he holds today.”

But some have argued that Shapiro’s views and policies on the conflict are much the same as those of most other choices.

Shapiro has been a vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “one of the worst leaders of all time” and an obstacle to the two-state solution. He told the Washington Post that the country “cannot ignore the death and destruction” in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Walz, who has been rallied by some progressives, has been open to the protesters’ message but has taken aim at instances that have made Jewish students on campus feel unsafe.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D-M), also under consideration, has generally expressed support for Israel but has avoided speaking out on the conflict amid discussions about the vice presidential post.

Another possible choice, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (D), attended and applauded Netanyahu’s speech to Congress late last month, despite many Democrats avoiding him in protest at his policies.

In a statement to The Hill, Bonder noted Shapiro’s “close personal relationships with leaders in the Muslim-American, Arab-American, Palestinian Christian and Jewish communities.”

Given the relatively minor differences in the vice presidential candidates’ positions, some have suggested that Shapiro’s Jewish identity was the reason for the pressure he has attracted.

“Josh’s position on Israel is almost identical to everyone else’s, but he’s held to a different standard. So you have to ask yourself why?” Moskowitz said. “We just couldn’t imagine other Democrats in the party questioning a vice presidential pick just because he was black, gay, Latino. We couldn’t imagine that.”

Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said he believes the attention to Shapiro’s criticism is more widespread than the sentiment itself, noting that an online petition against him has garnered just 850 signatures so far, compared with the 3 million votes he won in 2022.

“I think it shows that social media and the current social media environment amplifies marginal voices, but if you look at the reality, it gets more attention than actual support,” he said.

Reinish said the “misinterpretations” of Shapiro’s positions will continue if he is elected, but that can be resolved by a direct conversation about their position.

And some progressives say that facing Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Shapiro’s choice would likely not keep progressives home.

“Can I really credibly say that this is going to cost Harris the election or anything like that? Honestly, the answer is no,” the progressive strategist said, noting the intense enthusiasm Harris’ campaign has already generated.

Sam Crystal, chief of staff of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said polls have shown that most Americans agree with Shapiro’s position, making it less of a vulnerability than critics would like to suggest.

“He’s an incredible communicator and I think when people sit down and really listen to his position on the issue and the way he leads with moral clarity, they’ll see why he would be the right choice if he were selected,” Crystal said.

Before Oct. 7, Shapiro was leaning on his Jewish identity as governor, with his first campaign ad of the 2022 cycle featuring a Shabbat dinner with his family. But Shapiro’s allies emphasize that his appeal goes beyond his faith and ethnicity, pointing to his national record as governor.

And for voters, it will ultimately be Harris’s position on various issues that comes first.

“It’s what Kamala Harris thinks that matters, not what Josh Shapiro thinks if he’s chosen as her running mate,” Rooney said. “On the scale of repeats versus J.D. Vance, it doesn’t hit the mark.”

Mychael Schnell and Alex Gangitano contributed.