Ante Upped on Shapiro

As Scott wrote this morning, there are indications that Josh Shapiro is shaping up as Kamala Harris’s VP choice. Notwithstanding the opposition from “progressive,” i.e. anti-Semitic, Democrats, which I noted here.

But now, in an 11th-hour development, the ante may have been upped. The progressives’ opposition to Shapiro is ostensibly based on the fact that he is pro-Israel, although–call me a cynic–I think it mostly stems from the fact that he is himself a Jew. As the Veep selection has drawn closer, Shapiro has softpedaled his support for Israel. But now we have this:

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has had to defend his stance on Israel after an op-ed he penned more than three decades ago, in which he wrote of being an Israeli army volunteer and disparaged the Palestinian people, resurfaced.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered the essay that Shapiro wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper of the University of Rochester, from which Shapiro graduated in 1995. In the article, Shapiro stressed his view that “Palestinians will not peacefully coexist,” because “they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homelands and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States.”

“They are too battle-minded to be able to establish a peaceful homeland of their own,” Shapiro wrote, identifying himself as a “past volunteer in the Israeli army.” He referred to the Arab world as divided and “belligerent.”

I don’t disagree with anything Shapiro wrote, but the problem is that this essay goes beyond expressing support for Israel and actually criticizes the so-called Palestinians. That is likely verboten in today’s Democratic Party.

Shapiro has been quick to disavow his comments of 30 years ago:

“Since he wrote this piece as a 20-year-old student, Gov. Shapiro has built close, meaningful, informative relationships with many Muslim-American, Arab-American, Palestinian Christian and Jewish community leaders all across Pennsylvania,” Shapiro’s spokesman Manuel Bonder told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“The Governor greatly values their perspectives and the experiences he has learned from over the years – and as a result, as with many issues, his views on the Middle East have evolved into the position he holds today,” Bonder continued.

One thing you can say about Democrats–their views are always evolving. But I think there is zero chance that Shapiro’s evolution will satisfy the Democrats’ progressives. Since this revelation progressives have begun attacking Shapiro on Twitter as “Genocide Josh.”

Another possible aspect of this controversy is whether Shapiro disclosed his student essay to the Harris staffers who vetted him. Kamala’s willingness to take fire from her anti-Semitic left might weaken if she (or whoever is running her campaign) thinks that Shapiro let her down by failing to disclose a potential vulnerability.

How will it all end? I have no idea. I think Shapiro remains the front-runner, and from Kamala’s perspective it may be too late to change her mind. But I also think that her choice of Shapiro, if that happens, will continue to expose deep fissures within the Democratic Party that may prove relevant in November.

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