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By Andrew Stanton
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Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's past remarks about Palestinians have resurfaced amid speculation that he could become Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.
Harris is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden ended his campaign last month following pressure from Democrats concerned about his ability to win in November. Biden faced calls to step aside following his debate with Donald Trump in June, which brought concerns about his age and polls showing the president trailing in key battleground states.
Harris is expected to pick her running mate soon, and Shapiro is a top contender. His supporters point to his strong electoral record in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state viewed as a must-win for Harris. Some progressives, however, view his record on charter schools and Israel as too conservative, arguing he would stifle enthusiasm for Harris among young voters and the left.
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On Friday, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on remarks Shapiro made about Palestinians in a 1993 opinion piece published when he was a 21-year-old student and worked at the University of Rochester's student newspaper, the Campus Times. The remarks quickly divided some Democrats, while Shapiro's spokesperson told the newspaper his views have changed since then.
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"Palestinians will not coexist peacefully," Shapiro wrote in the piece. "They do not have the capabilities to establish their own homeland 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's spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, told Newsweek that the decades-old comments are not indicative of what Shapiro believes today. He said the governor supports a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Since he wrote this piece as a 21-year-old student, Governor Shapiro has built close, meaningful, informative relationships with many Muslim American, Arab American, Palestinian Christian and Jewish community leaders all across Pennsylvania," he said.
"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, "As the governor has made clear for years, he supports a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live together peacefully. And he believes it is critical for leaders on both sides of this conflict to take meaningful, necessary steps towards a lasting peace."
The governor's remarks in the student newspaper's piece drew mixed reactions on X (formerly Twitter).
"People often say regrettable things when they're young. But imagine the widespread media coverage if a vice-presidential contender had labeled any other demographic of people as "belligerent." That is the very definition of racism," posted Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid.
"Unfortunately, bigotry against Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians is so normalized in this country that it often goes unchallenged. I hope Governor Shapiro apologizes, and that we can unite our party rather than fracture it further," he added.
X user @Mike_From_PA wrote: "Am I crazy or is Shapiro just WAY TOO RISKY of a pick for Harris? Anti-Arab racism is unacceptable. Not only will he inflame Gaza protestors, he's right wing on corporate tax cuts and charter schools, while being unqualified to be President with only 2 years as Governor."
Others defended Shapiro.
"I used to be a Republican 14 years ago. People can't change?" posted X user Michael Muha.
Colin Dunlap, a host on Pittsburgh radio station KDKA, wrote: "Yes. Let's use a college paper a guy wrote 30 years ago as a barometer as to how he might view the world (or anything) right now. Holy hell. We have lost our minds."
Harris is also considering Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Democrats are hoping her selection will win over moderate voters while appeasing progressive voters who have become wary of Democrats because of Biden's handling of the war between Israel and Hamas.
One congressional Democrat said Shapiro and the other vice presidential contenders differ little in their approach to Israel and Palestinian relations, raising questions about whether antisemitism is to blame for the opposition to Shapiro since he is Jewish.
Representative Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat, wrote on X: "@JoeBiden, @KamalaHarris, every VP candidate, and a wide majority of Democrats support Israel. But for some reason,@JoshShapiroPA's support is problematic to certain leftists. Such anti-semitism cannot be granted safe haven in any party. Period."
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