Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to nominate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate has sparked mixed reactions from Jewish groups.
“This is the same man who famously said, ‘What is one man’s socialism, is another man’s neighborliness.’ Is that true?” the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) said in a post on X on Tuesday.
The post comes following Harris’ highly anticipated decision to choose Walz after weeks of speculation about several candidates.
Ms. Harris’ decision was reportedly left to the discretion of Mr. Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a popular governor of a battleground state that is crucial to the vice president’s chances of winning the state’s 270 electoral votes in November’s election.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz spoke to reporters after meeting with President Biden at the White House on July 3, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
But Harris’ choice of Waltz over Shapiro, the only Jewish candidate under consideration, has also fueled speculation that she may have been pressured by Democrats sympathetic to Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Some have also accused the “No Genocide Josh” campaign of pressuring Harris, alleging an “undercurrent of anti-Semitism” in her opposition to the Pennsylvania governor.
“The far-left online are attacking Josh Shapiro’s pro-Israel stance in a different way than they would attack the stance of a non-Jewish vice presidential candidate, but they’re just indicting themselves,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) told CNN on Monday.
“There’s a strong streak of anti-Semitism there,” he continued, “and that’s unacceptable. Every candidate’s positions on policy issues, their record in elected office, all of that is fair game. Harris will rightly be subject to questioning and questioning by her campaign and observers, but to hold him to a different standard because of his religion is not who we are as a Democratic Party.”
Harris’ choice of Shapiro comes as some Israeli supporters worry that she has softened support for the Jewish state in recent months, pointing out that Shapiro was the first administration official to call for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and has reportedly had a rocky relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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The RJC statement alluded to these concerns, saying Harris’ choice of Walz was “particularly concerning to the American Jewish community” because of her “endorsement” of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), whom the RJC called “the most virulently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic member of Congress.”
“This is the same disgraced Ilhan Omar who spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, falsely accused Israel of genocide and apartheid, and voted against funding the Iron Dome missile defense system that currently protects countless innocent Israeli civilians from terrorist rocket attacks,” the RJC said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has been called “the most virulently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic member of Congress.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
However, other Jewish groups were more optimistic about Harris’ selection, with the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) praising her selection.
“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are aligned with the majority of Jewish voters on every important issue, and we are confident that the overwhelming support of Jewish American voters will determine our victory in November’s election,” JDCA CEO Haley Soifer said in a press release.
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“Vice President Harris has made an excellent choice in selecting Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. We deeply respect Governor Walz’s fierce defense of our values, including reproductive rights, and his commitment to protecting our democracy, especially under attack from Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans,” added JDCA Chairman Ron Klain. “As someone who was elected at the same time as Governor Tim Walz and served in Congress, I can attest to the fact that he has taken on the radical wing of the Republican Party and won. We are confident that he and VP Harris will win again this November, with the strong support of Jewish American voters.”
The move was also praised by Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, a group that describes itself as “building a multiracial, multiethnic, intergenerational movement of Jews and allies from across the country standing up to build a future for America free of white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and racism.”
Gov. Tim Walz arrives for a press conference in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 1, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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“By selecting Governor Walz, who has made record investments in public education, infrastructure, paid leave, free college, and reducing child and senior poverty, Governor Harris sent a clear message to voters: We will face off against those who threaten our safety and freedoms for an economy of fear and division, and those who invest in them for an economy of care,” Bend the Arc CEO Jamie Beran said in a press release.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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