A Democratic lawmaker has criticized recent attempts by the “far left” to discourage Vice President Kamala Harris from choosing Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate, asserting that the narrative is based in “antisemitism.” Following President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and endorsement of Harris for the top position, an anti-Shapiro website called “No Genocide Josh” was launched, urging Harris not to pick him as her vice president. The website claims that Shapiro has opposed a ceasefire in Palestine.
In response to the anti-Shapiro campaign, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) released a statement blasting the efforts against Shapiro. Every potential nominee for Vice President is pro-Israel. Yet only one, Josh Shapiro, has been singled out by a far-left smear campaign calling him ‘Genocide Josh.’ The reason he is treated differently from the rest? Antisemitism,” Torres stated.
The Pennsylvania governor, who is Jewish, has reportedly been considered as one of several potential running mates for Harris due to his strong support for her campaign in a critical battleground state. During his 2022 gubernatorial bid, Shapiro received endorsements from the Jewish Democratic Council of America and several labor groups within Pennsylvania, both of which played crucial roles in helping Biden secure victory in the 2020 election.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff participated in a Zoom call with the Jewish Democratic Council of America and Jewish Women for Kamala to reaffirm Harris’ commitment to supporting Israel as commander-in-chief. Emhoff expressed hope that his own religious practices might lead to a mezuzah being placed on the White House, similar to the one displayed at the vice president’s residence.
Despite this show of support, some columnists have warned that selecting Shapiro as her No. 2 could be damaging for Democratic unity. One writer from The New Republic stated, “Unfortunately, Shapiro also stands out among the current field of potential running mates as being egregiously bad on Palestine… It’s not just that he, like many Democrats, is an outspoken supporter of Israel — though he certainly is, having championed Israel’s war against Hamas consistently and without any apparent concern for Palestinian civilians.
Another writer from The New York Times claimed that “the unfortunate rise of antisemitism in this country (see: Shapiro) makes a Jewish presidential candidate a hard sell right now.” New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg also wrote, “Choosing Shapiro, who is ardently pro-Israel and outspoken in his condemnation of the recent campus protests, would rip those wounds open again.
Harris’ support for Israel has raised concerns among some in the Jewish community. Following her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, an Israeli official told Axios that the vice president had been “more critical” of Israel than previous administrations. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) also expressed disagreement with Harris’ remarks about civilian death tolls in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The United Nations admitted in May to having inflated the number of women and children killed during the conflict, while the Gaza Ministry of Health claimed that nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war. Israel invaded following a terror attack on October 7th, which resulted in more than 1,200 Israeli deaths, mostly civilians, and 33 American casualties. Additionally, 240 people were taken captive back to Gaza, where at least 120 are still being held hostage, including five US citizens.
