Shapiro leans into support for Israel amid Iran war

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) is leaning into his support for Israel as the war in Iran escalates and as speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run grows.

In recent interviews with progressive podcast hosts, Shapiro has not shied away from the topic, engaging at length on an issue that has become increasingly fraught for Democrats amid declining support for Israel and a deepening divide over foreign policy.

But Shapiro is betting that there’s still room in his party for a more nuanced approach and that Democratic voters — as the governor runs for reelection this year and tests the waters for a potential White House bid — have an appetite for a measured leader with a centrist view on Israel.

In one appearance on “Pod Save America,” a podcast hosted by Obama-era White House aides, the Democratic governor pushed back on those who embrace an anti-war position and suggest Israel should not exist as a Jewish state.

“For those who begin by suggesting Israel doesn’t have the right to exist as a Jewish state, I think that is a recipe for permanent war,” Shapiro said. 

“I want to see peace in the region,” he continued. “I also do think it’s sort of interesting that you’ve got 46 nations around the world where the majority religion is Islam, 23 of them recognize Islam as the official state religion. One has the official state religion of Judaism, and that’s the one we keep talking about here.”

Recent polling shows support for Israel among Democrats has fallen dramatically in the last few years. In 2022, 64 percent of Democrats held favorable views of Israel — compared with 34 percent today, according to Gallup polling.

The same surveys found Democrats split in 2022 on whether they were more sympathetic with Israelis or Palestinians — with each side getting 40 percent. Today, 65 percent of Democrats sympathize more with Palestinians, and 17 percent sympathize more with Israelis.

But Shapiro has remained consistent in his message. On recent podcast appearances, he pushed back on claims that Israel is an apartheid state while stressing his long-standing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his opposition to how President Trump is handling the war in Iran.

The governor emphasized the importance of engaging in discussions about Israel and drew a distinction between rising antisemitism — which he characterized as a problem with little nuance — and criticism of Israel, including claims that it is an “apartheid state,” which he said is not inherently antisemitic.

“I fundamentally disagree with your viewpoint, but I don’t think you’re an antisemite. I think that you are learning and struggling and grappling with issues that are really, really tough, and you formed an opinion, one that I disagree with, that you seemingly hold very honestly,” Shapiro said on the “Higher Learning” podcast.

“I don’t think that you’ve got hate in your heart toward someone because they’re Jewish. I think you’ve got different views, say, than I do about Israel or about the Middle East,” he added.

Attacks targeting Jewish people and institutions have increased in recent years, at times invoking Israel or Palestinians as justification. 

Shapiro and his family were targeted in an arson attack on the governor’s mansion last year on the first night of Passover. The man charged in the case said he was motivated by the war in Gaza and wanted Shapiro to know he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to an affidavit.

While the governor does not typically seek discussion on U.S. policy toward Israel, his willingness to engage at length on an issue that carries political risk breaks from the more cautious playbook that many national Democrats have embraced.

T.J. Rooney, former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said Shapiro is “not an equivocator” and will answer the questions as they’re presented to him. He noted the governor has a breadth of foreign policy knowledge that makes it easier for him to discuss the topic.

“He answers the questions that are asked, and yes, at times, that comes with political risk, but it’s not part of this calculation,” Rooney said in an interview with The Hill. “So, yeah, sure, is there a political downside to it? Yeah, probably. There’s a political downside to anything. But, I think people, even if they might disagree with some of your thoughts, they will always respect you for being true to yourself.”

“I think that matters a whole lot more to voters than any potential disagreement on policy that would cost him electoral support,” he added.

Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf told The Hill that Shapiro has “no choice” but to lean into the issue, saying, “Campaigns are really simple things. If you have a problem, you shine a light on your problem.”

“He can’t run away from the fact that he’s a Jew. He cannot run away from the fact that the governor’s mansion was firebombed by a crazy antisemite, OK? And he can use that violence or that American fairness about tolerance to his own benefit,” he added.

GOP Pennsylvania strategist Vince Galko similarly said “any good adviser” would tell their candidate to address any “skeleton in your closet” early on to avoid letting the issue hang over a campaign.

“I think that’s generally what he’s trying to do now,” Galko told The Hill. “Unfortunately, this isn’t an issue that’s going to go away. … He can do his best to try to get ahead of it, make some statements, make him seem strong on Israel, but at the same time palatable to the antisemitic left, and, you know, do that dance, but it’s going to be difficult as things escalate and things change.”

“If he has to do this dance every time the issue comes up, it’s going to be a problem for him in the party,” Galko said.

Sheinkopf said he sees Shapiro “trying to cleave to the center,” but he is unsure if there is a “Democratic Party that still exists that’s in the center.”

“Shapiro’s pro-Israel position is one consistent with the Democratic Party that may have existed a while ago,” Sheinkopf said. “It may not be existing today, and only he knows that.”

The Democratic strategist said the recent election results in Illinois, where moderates outperformed progressive candidates, could be an indication that there is an appetite for centrism.

“People didn’t want the extremes,” Sheinkopf said about Illinois. “They’re looking for something in the middle, which tells you that Clintonism may be making a comeback.”

“And maybe people in this country, particularly Democrats, are looking for that kind of leadership,” he added. “If they are, Shapiro wins. If they’re not, he loses terribly.”

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