from Forward: Shapiro's position on Gaza tests close bonds with Arab, Muslim community

'For years, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was able to execute a balancing act that eludes many Jewish politicians: vocally supporting Israel while maintaining close ties with Arab and Muslim voters.

After Shapiro became attorney general in 2017, he helped lead opposition to the Trump administration’s travel ban targeting Muslims. A longtime state representative, he regularly visited mosques and gave his personal cell phone number to Arab and Muslim community leaders, many of whom appreciated that he kept kosher and observed Shabbat.

When Shapiro ran for governor two years ago, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he was at the forefront of elected officials “paying attention” to a demographic that had long felt overlooked in the state. Pennsylvania has an estimated 126,000 Arab American residents, second only to Michigan among swing states expected to determine this year’s presidential election.

“A lot of other politicians, including Democrats, like to come take our money and move on — they’re not there to be seen with us,” Nagi Latefa, a community activist in the Lehigh Valley north of Philadelphia, told the newspaper. “But not Josh.”

The warm ties were all the more remarkable considering that Shapiro is a staunch opponent of the movement to boycott Israel, where he studied in high school and proposed to his wife. Ahmet Tekelioglu, Philadelphia director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the community was also able to absorb Shapiro’s initial reaction to the Oct. 7 terror attack, with statements defending “Israel’s right to defend itself” that made no mention of Palestinians.

“People are not surprised he has a special relationship with Israel,” Tekelioglu said in an interview.'

https://forward.com/news/638442/josh-shapiro-israel-palestine-antisemitism-arab-muslim/?