Jewish Democrats on Capitol Hill are up in arms over liberal attacks on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), saying the potential vice presidential pick was unfairly maligned just because he is the top Jewish figure on the vice presidential list. President Harris.
Several far-left voices have targeted Shapiro in recent weeks over his stance on the Israel-Hamas War, accusing the 51-year-old governor of blindly supporting Israel’s aggressive military campaign at the expense of tens of thousands of Palestinians. who were killed in the conflict. Some have labeled it “Genocide Josh.”
These attacks have angered Shapiro’s allies in Congress, especially Jewish lawmakers who say critics have not only misrepresented Shapiro’s stance on the war but are also flirting with anti-Semitism.
“Josh’s stance on Israel is almost identical to everyone else’s, but he is being held to a different standard. So you have to ask yourself why,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida).
Moskowitz said his party would never tolerate similar attacks if the potential candidate was, for example, black, gay or Latino, in which case “we would denounce it and it would be deafening.”
“But Josh is being held to a double and triple standard,” he added, “in an effort to try to kill his chance of becoming vice president.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), another prominent Jewish lawmaker, also rushes to Shapiro’s defense, saying critics are dissecting Shapiro’s resume in a way that the other shortlisted candidates simply haven’t had to endure.
“It has been very noticeable that, of all the people she is carefully considering, the one Jewish candidate is being subjected to excruciating and very specific scrutiny, especially around his positions on Israel,” Wasserman Schultz said, a dynamic she called it “deeply concerning.” .”
Criticism of Shapiro and his stance on Gaza has undoubtedly been led by far-left groups rather than prominent progressives in Congress.
But even so, these voices of opposition have been loud.
In a statement last month, the Philadelphia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement defending the case against Shapiro as vice president, writing that he is “an outspoken supporter of the Zionist project in Palestine.” And a campaign against Shapiro took shape on NoGenocideJosh.org, which, according to for a document obtained by Jewish Insiderincludes individuals from “Dear White Staffers,” the social media account that reports on alleged workplace abuses on Capitol Hill.
Shapiro, in just his first term as governor, quickly built a national profile for his track record of building bipartisan coalitions, outperforming other Democrats in polls and maintaining broad appeal in a purple battleground state. Recent polls have put his approval rating at around 60%.
The governor – who keeps kosher, attended Jewish day school and proposed marriage to his wife in Jerusalem – has been staunchly pro-Israel amid the war in Gaza, reinforcing Tel Aviv’s right to defend itself while underlining the importance of defeating the Hamas and denouncing the pro-Israel position. -Palestinian protests that took over college campuses in the spring, including at the University of Pennsylvania.
Shapiro, however, also supported a two-state solution in the Middle East and notably criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At one point, he dubbed the conservative leader “one of the worst leaders of all time,” arguing that the controversial figure “led Israel in the wrong direction and made Israel less safe and made its future less bright because of his leadership.” . The statement was made months before Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in history, called new elections in Israel and said Netanyahu had “lost his way.”
Shapiro’s supporters have been quick to point out that the governor’s stance on the Gaza war is in line with that of other vice presidential candidates – and has, at times, been more critical of Israel than others – arguing that the Greater scrutiny on their perspective is fueled by anti-Semitism.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), for example, said it would be appropriate for police to intervene and quell protests on college campuses that have taken an illegal turn and labeled Hamas “the biggest barrier” to obtaining a cease -fire in the Middle East, while stating that the Israeli authorities “have to do a better job” to reduce innocent deaths.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in the North Star State following the October 7 attack on Israel and, according to TC Jewshe told temple attendees days after the massacre: “If you didn’t find moral clarity on Saturday morning and found yourself waiting to think about what you needed to say, you need to reevaluate where you are.”
“The people I saw talking about the vice presidential candidates and then singling out Governor Shapiro for positions that are virtually identical to everyone else being considered, and saying that his stance on Israel and Gaza disqualifies him, the only thing that would be different from anyone else is the fact that he is Jewish and that, by definition, he falls into the category of anti-Semitism,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), another Jewish lawmaker.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), another veteran Jewish lawmaker, noted that Shapiro’s critics are not all cut from the same mold. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), for example, is also cool toward Shapiro’s rise to vice president, but “that has nothing to do with anti-Semitism and everything to do with Pennsylvania politics.” , Sherman said.
Still, Sherman didn’t mince words in condemning Shapiro’s pro-Hamas critics, who “are clearly anti-Semitic.”
“If you go to the Twittersphere, they seem to have noticed that one of the people on the list is Jewish and they are exploding with all the vituperative anger they are known for,” Sherman said. “Their positions [on Israel] are the same as everyone else on the list. So yes, I think it’s because he’s Jewish.
“They can say he went to Israel. But that’s what American Jews do,” he continued. “All my Mexican-American friends have been to Mexico. All my French-American friends have been to France.”
The Israel-Hamas conflict is not the only issue fueling liberal backlash over Shapiro as a potential vice presidential pick. Fetterman, for example, reportedly clashed with Shapiro for years over issues of law enforcement and clemency policy. And some other prominent progressive lawmakers are citing Shapiro’s stance on labor issues, particularly his support for school voucher programs, which has run afoul of some union leaders who are calling for Harris to pick someone else.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, made her distaste for Shapiro clear just before the recess, citing labor issues rather than Israel policy. Asked specifically about the Pennsylvania governor, she declined to comment because, she said, she could not support him.
“I’m not really commenting on others — I’m commenting on who I think would be a great choice,” Jayapal told reporters outside the Capitol.
“I just don’t see how you can include someone who doesn’t have a strong pro-labor record,” she continued. “This is a core constituency for the Democratic Party. It’s a central platform to fight for.”
Harris is expected to reveal her choice for running mate on Tuesday morning ahead of a scheduled campaign stop with the full Democratic ticket in Philadelphia later in the day. In addition to Shapiro, she is also weighing the possible selection of Walz, Kelly, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, among others.
As the country awaits Harris’ announcement, many Democrats are pushing a simple measure that they hope will guide their decision: choosing the candidate who gives the party the best chance of preventing former President Trump from winning a second term in the White House.
Some said Trump’s choice of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), whose provocative comments in recent weeks have forced Republicans to play defense, offers a roadmap for how not to pick a running mate.
“Trump…does everything very sloppily, and I’m sure he had no idea how much JD Vance hated cats and loved couches,” Sherman said. “So it’s clear that Republicans haven’t done their job, and I hope Democrats do our job.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
