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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Penn., has had to defend his stance on Israel after an op-ed he penned more than three decades ago, in which he wrote of being an Israeli army volunteer and disparaged the Palestinian people, resurfaced.
"Since he wrote this piece as a 20-year-old student, Gov. Shapiro has built close, meaningful, informative relationships with many Muslim-American, Arab-American, Palestinian Christian, and Jewish community leaders all across Pennsylvania," Shapiro’s spokesman Manuel Bonder told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"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.
The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered the essay that Shapiro wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper of the University of Rochester, from which Shapiro graduated in 1995. In the article, Shapiro stressed his view that "Palestinians will not peacefully coexist," because "they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homelands and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States."
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"They are too battle-minded to be able to establish a peaceful homeland of their own," Shapiro wrote, identifying himself as a "past volunteer in the Israeli army." He referred to the Arab world as divided and "belligerent."
The comments have resurfaced as part of a thorough review of Shapiro as he edges closer to a potential vice-presidential nod for the Democrat ticket topped by current Vice President Kamala Harris after she secured the nomination this week.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., speaks at a campaign event, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Shapiro's support for Israel has been controversial inside the Democratic Party due to the strong pro-Palestinian views of the party's far-left flank. Those who oppose his candidacy launched the "No Genocide Josh" campaign and continue to pressure Harris to pick another running mate.
Some Jewish members of Congress have said that criticism of Shapiro is unfair and assumes that Jewish politicians cannot be objective on Israel.
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"I think there is that sense that somehow we're not objective [on Israel] because we're Jewish, which is just not true or fair," Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, told Axios. "There are a lot of members who are pro-Israel who have been protested against — I think as Jews it feels particularly intense and personal."
Bonder pushed back on the idea that the newspaper op-ed, written decades ago, provides any indication of the governor’s current thinking regarding Israel.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (L) speak to the press while making a stop at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Collerd/ AFP) (Photo by Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images) (Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images)
"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," Bonder stressed.
"Governor Shapiro has worked hard to bring people together, listen, and keep our communities safe and heard – and he will always be a Governor for all Pennsylvanians," Bonder added.
Addressing the self-identification as a "past volunteer in the Israeli army," Bonder said, "While he was in high school, Josh Shapiro was required to do a service project, which he and several classmates completed through a program that took them to a kibbutz in Israel where he worked on a farm and at a fishery."
Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania, speaks during a campaign event with U.S. President Joe Biden, not pictured, at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg)
"The program also included volunteering on service projects on an Israeli army base. At no time was he engaged in any military activities," Bonder said.
When asked about the article during a Friday press conference, the 51-year-old Shapiro stressed his age and the time that has passed since publishing the article. 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 futures and their own destinies," the Times of Israel reported.
Shapiro also had earlier this year called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "one of the worst leaders of all time" and blasted him for steering Israel "in a wrong direction," according to the Times.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
