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<\/a><\/p>\nPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, Ambler, Pennsylvania, July 29, 2024. (Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is among the establishment Democrats who have hesitated to embrace Mamdani, a democratic socialist and vocal critic of Israel. Mamdani also has yet to win the endorsements of Jewish Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, though both congratulated him on his primary win.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Jewish Insider, Shapiro said Mamdani\u2019s campaign \u201cleft open far too much space for extremists to either use his words or for him to not condemn the words of extremists that said some blatantly antisemitic things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani faced backlash during the primary for refusing to condemn the phrase \u201cglobalize the intifada,\u201d though he has since said he will \u201cdiscourage\u201d it.<\/p>\n
Many pro-Palestinian activists argue that the phrase \u201cglobalize the intifada,\u201d used regularly at pro-Palestinian protests, represents a nonviolent call for liberation. But many Jews and other critics say it functions as a call for violence against Jews and Israelis. The word \u201cintifada,\u201d which means \u201cuprising\u201d or \u201cshaking off\u201d in Arabic, was the name of two Palestinian uprisings including one from 2000 to 2005 that killed an estimated 1,000 Israelis, mostly in terror attacks on civilian targets such as buses and cafes.<\/p>\n
Mamdani says that Palestinian rights are foundational to his identity and supports a boycott of Israel, which he says is committing genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Support for Israel, once an unquestioned requisite in the Democratic party, has waned among progressives who are making strides in local elections. Many Democratic voters have soured on Israel since its offensive in Gaza: 60% of Democrats now say they sympathize with Palestinians more than Israelis, according to a Quinnipiac poll in June, compared with 41% in November 2023.<\/p>\n
Shapiro, a likely 2028 presidential candidate whose Jewish identity is core to his public profile, is a traditional pro-Israel Democrat. He told Jewish Insider, \u201cAcross the board, I want to see more support for Israel, for a Jewish state. That doesn\u2019t mean that one can\u2019t be critical of Israeli policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a leader, Shapiro said, \u201cYou have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly antisemitic, you can\u2019t leave room for that to just sit there. You\u2019ve got to condemn that.\u201d<\/p>\n
While he was being considered to join the presidential ticket of former Vice President Kamala Harris last year, Shapiro came under intense scrutiny for his pro-Israel bona fides. Some commentators said the campaign to block Shapiro unjustly singled him out for being Jewish, since the other candidates \u2014 including Tim Walz, who became Harris\u2019s pick \u2014 also had pro-Israel records.<\/p>\n
Shortly after Shapiro hosted a Passover seder in April, his house was set on fire by a man who said he was motivated by support for Palestinians. Shapiro has declined to weigh in on whether this was an antisemitic act, saying he would allow prosecutors to decide whether to treat it as a hate crime.<\/p>\n
Some Jewish politicians have leapt to endorse Mamdani, including New York Rep. Jerry Nadler. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Jewish progressive who endorsed Mamdani in the primary even while running against him, lashed back at Shapiro\u2019s comments. He accused Shapiro of giving fodder to the Trump administration, which has suggested that Mamdani\u2019s citizenship could be investigated.<\/p>\n
\u201cZohran Mamdani won the votes of a large majority of NYC Democrats, including thousands of proud Jews like me, inspired by his vision of a city everyone can afford and confident about his commitment to combating antisemitism and hate,\u201d Lander said in a statement. \u201cJosh Shapiro won\u2019t help keep Jews safe in NYC or Pennsylvania by feeding Trump\u2019s narrative about our Democratic nominee for mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n