Concerns over rising antisemitism and growing hostility toward Israel within the Democratic Party have long been on a slow boil. 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s blockbuster revelation in his upcoming memoir that he was asked by Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign during the VP vetting process if he was ever an agent of the Israeli government underscores just how fraught the political environment has gotten for Jewish Democrats who support Israel.

Shapiro’s decision to go public with allegations that the last presidential nominee’s team exhibited bigotry underscores just how deep the divisions are within the party, especially as he considers a 2028 presidential run. These rifts pit the party’s moderate wing — which is generally supportive of Israel and harbors zero tolerance for antisemitism — against an ascendant left wing, exemplified by the disruptive anti-Israel protesters that Harris was pandering to at the time of her veepstakes deliberations.

Shapiro, if he runs for national office, is planting his flag in the mainstream wing of the Democratic Party, willing to call out antisemitism when he sees it, including on college campuses in his state, and supporting Israel — even while strongly criticizing some policies of the Netanyahu government. In his book, he proudly discusses his personal connections to Israel and the role Judaism plays in his life.

These were uncontroversial views within the Democratic Party, until the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks against the Jewish state emboldened an ugly strain of extremism that has, all too often, been accommodated by party leaders. (Shapiro also revealed that Harris insisted he apologize for his condemnation of intimidation targeting Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania by anti-Israel protesters, which he refused to do.)

Anyone documenting the evolution of Democratic Party politics over the last few years can see the red flags. New York City, the epicenter of Jewish life in the United States, elected a mayor who refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Jewish Democrats running for office in progressive constituencies buckle under pressure to call Israel’s war against Hamas a “genocide” or decide to suddenly condemn AIPAC to showcase their progressive bona fides. A majority of Democratic voters, according to recent polls, now have an unfavorable view of Israel. 

Indeed, Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Shapiro as her running mate — amid concern about backlash from anti-Israel forces within the party — is an example of how politically damaging it can be for Democrats to indulge such far-left activism. Outside of his folksy demeanor, Walz offered little for the national ticket and now is enmeshed in scandal in his home state. If he was tapped, Shapiro boasted the moderate record and swing-state success that at least could have moved the needle a bit more. 

A Shapiro presidential candidacy would be a bet on a return to normalcy within the Democratic Party electorate. By calling out the Harris campaign’s behavior during the veepstakes vetting, Shapiro is drawing a red line between those who would tolerate bigotry in favor of those prioritizing electability by appealing to a middle-of-the-road normie voters. (He’s also reminding Democratic voters about the vulnerabilities Harris would bring to the table as a repeat presidential candidate as she mulls over another national campaign.)

For a short time after President Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Harris last November, it seemed like the moderates held the momentum within the party — and that a candidate with a proven record of winning over independents, like Shapiro, would be most appealing for a party desperate to win. 

But as the resistance reasserted itself amid Trump’s governing excesses, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s brand of far-left, anti-Israel populism proved successful in New York City, the energy has shifted squarely to the left, to the point where it’s difficult for the silent majority to fight back.

It feels like ages ago that former Sen. Joe Lieberman, a proudly observant Jew and pro-Israel stalwart, was embraced by the Democratic Party at all levels and proved an asset to the party’s presidential ticket. Just two decades later, it’s an open question whether another pro-Israel moderate Jewish Democrat will receive the same warm reception.