Josh Shapiro
Josh Shapiro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 48th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| Assumed office January 17, 2023 | |
| 50th Attorney General of Pennsylvania | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua David Shapiro June 20, 1973 Kansas City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Akiba Hebrew Academy[1] University of Rochester (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Joshua David Shapiro, known more commonly as Josh Shapiro, is an American politician currently serving as the governor of Pennsylvania and was under consideration for position of Vice President under Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket for the 2024 Presidential Election before she chose Tim Walz.[2] In the run-up to the announcement of the VP selection, Shapiro was nicknamed "Genocide Josh" by pro-Palestinian online activists, a moniker originally assigned to President Joe Biden.[1]
Views on Palestine[edit | edit source]
Shapiro has been a fierce defender of Israel and an outspoken critic against Palestinians and Palestinian Americans since his youth and has allowed similar sentiment to influence his decisions as governor.
1993 Comments on Oslo Accords[edit | edit source]
In 1993, 20-year-old Shapiro contributed an opinion piece titled Peace not possible as a counter to the An impossible peace: Peace, not war, best option now article that appeared in the University of Rochester student paper. In it, he decried the Palestinians as being "too battle-minded to establish a peaceful homeland of their own", and insisted that Palestinians could not co-exist peacefully with Israel, and undermined their abilities expressing racist tropes such as "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". [3][4]
Volunteering with the IDF[edit | edit source]
In the same Campus Times article, Shapiro claimed that he had volunteered in the IDF, saying "Despite my skepticism, as a Jew and a past volunteer in the Israeli army," despite not being an Israeli citizen required to serve in the IDF.
When his office was asked for clarification, his spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, attempted to downplay the earlier boast, telling the Times of Israel "The program also included volunteering on service projects on an Israeli army base. At no time was he engaged in any military activities."[1]
Comparing Pro-Palestinian Protestors to the KKK[edit | edit source]
In an April 2024 interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Governor Josh Shapiro accused the pro-Palestinian protestors staging campus protests in his state as being antisemitic and hateful, describing the gatherings as in violation of university and state policies and in contravention of the rules of free speech. He claimed students were blocked from going to campus because of their Jewish origin, and then drew direct parallels between the student protestors and the Klu Klux Klan, asking if KKK gatherings with protesters "outfitted in KKK regalia" would have been tolerated.[5]
Anti-BDS Views and Threats of Legal Action Against Ben & Jerry's[edit | edit source]
In 2021, after the popular ice cream manufacturer and brand Ben & Jerry's stopped selling its ice cream in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a response to the illegal Israeli occupation, Republican state representative Aaron Kaufer wrote to Shapiro and then-State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, asking them to invoke a Pennsylvania law passed in 2016 that outlawed BDS. Shapiro, then the attorney general of Pennsylvania, quickly responded in the affirmative, writing "BDS is rooted in antisemitism," and continuing, "the stated goal of this amorphous movement is the removal of Jewish citizens from the region and I strongly oppose their efforts. Governor Wolf rightfully signed a bill five years ago which passed with broad bipartisan support to prevent the stain of BDS from taking hold in Pennsylvania. I expect Commonwealth agencies with jurisdiction to enforce the Act."[6]
Other Controversies[edit | edit source]
- It was revealed in 2019 that Shapiro was using taxpayer-funded government resources to sanitize and manipulate his Wikipedia profile.[7]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jacob Magid (3 August 2024). "Josh Shapiro seeks to downplay his time as IDF volunteer after college op-ed resurfaces". Times of Israel. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ↑ Eric Levitz (Aug 6, 2024). "Will Kamala Harris regret picking Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro?". Vox. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ↑ Shapiro, Joshua (September 23, 1993). "Peace not possible". University of Rochester Campus Times. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ↑ Orso, Anna (2 August 2024). "Josh Shapiro once wrote that peace 'will never come' to the Middle East. He says his views have changed over 30 years". The Inquirer. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ↑ Jake Tapper (4 April 2024). "Gov. Shapiro: Peaceful protests can't be excuse for antisemitism". CNN. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ↑ Stein, Linda (July 21, 2021). "Garrity, Shapiro Back Anti-BDS Action Against Ben & Jerry's". Delaware Valley Journal. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ↑ Gonzalez, Junior; Walker, Carter (6 May 2019). "Pa. Capitol staff being paid by taxpayers to edit Wikipedia for elected officials". LancasterOnline. Retrieved 4 August 2024.