Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has had to defend his stance on Israel after an op-ed he wrote more than 30 years ago in which he wrote about volunteering in the Israeli army and expressed disdain for Palestinians resurfaced.
“Since writing this article as a 20-year-old student, Governor Shapiro has developed close, meaningful and rewarding relationships with many Muslim, Arab American, Palestinian Christian and Jewish community leaders across Pennsylvania,” Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bondar told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“The Governor very much valued their perspectives and the experiences he learned over the years, and as a result, his views on the Middle East, as on many issues, have evolved into the positions he holds today,” Bondar continued.
The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered an essay that Shapiro wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper at the University of Rochester, where he graduated in 1995. In the piece, Shapiro emphasized his view that “Palestinians will not coexist peacefully together” because “they do not have the capacity to build and succeed in building their own homeland, even with Israeli and American help.”
“They are too willing to fight to build a peaceful homeland,” Shapiro wrote, introducing himself as a “former Israeli army volunteer” who described the Arab world as divided and “warlike.”
The comments resurfaced this week as part of an extensive investigation into Shapiro after current Vice President Kamala Harris clinched the nomination and Shapiro was expected to be named as the Democratic running mate.
Shapiro’s support for Israel has been controversial within the Democratic Party, as the party’s far-left wing has been vocal in its support of the Palestinians.
Opponents of Harris’ candidacy have launched a “Josh, No Genocide” campaign and continue to pressure her to choose another running mate.
Some Jewish lawmakers say the criticism of Shapiro is unfair and assumes that Jewish politicians are incapable of being objective about Israel.
“I think there’s a sense that we’re not objective. [on Israel] “It’s not true or fair to say they do this because they’re Jewish,” said Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio. He told Axios“There are many pro-Israel members who are being protested, and as Jews, I think they feel it especially intensely and personally.”
Bondar rejected the idea that the newspaper’s op-ed, written decades ago, is indicative of the governor’s current thinking on Israel.
“As the Governor has made clear for many years, he supports a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, and he believes it is vital that leaders on both sides of this conflict take meaningful and necessary steps toward a lasting peace,” Bondar emphasized.
“Governor Shapiro has worked hard to bring people together, to listen, to keep our communities safe and to make our voices heard, and he will always be a governor for all Pennsylvanians,” Bondar added.
Bondar introduced himself as a former volunteer in the Israeli army, saying, “During high school, Josh Shapiro completed a required service project through a program in which he and several classmates worked on farms and fisheries at a kibbutz in Israel.”
“The program included volunteering for service at Israeli military bases. He did not serve in the military at any time,” Bondar said.
Asked about the article at a press conference on Friday, Shapiro, 51, emphasized his age and the time that has passed since the article was published.
He reiterated his belief that the only way forward for the region is a two-state solution that allows both Israelis and Palestinians “to determine their own future and their own destiny.” The Times of Israel reported..
According to The New York Times, Shapiro also slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year, calling him “one of the worst leaders in history” and accusing him of leading the country in the “wrong direction.”
