Unwelcome in Their Home: Hollywood Jews Fear Antisemitism Drove VP Pick

Jewish Americans in Hollywood are expressing concern that Governor Josh Shapiro's exclusion from Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate roster may have been motivated by antisemitism within the Democratic Party.

In a Hollywood Reporter column, senior awards editor Steven Zeitchik explores the belief among many liberal Jewish-Americans in the entertainment industry that antisemitism played a role in Governor Josh Shapiro's (D-Penn.) omission as Harris's vice presidential pick.

Unwelcome in Their Home: Hollywood Jews Fear Antisemitism Drove VP Pick

Initially skeptical of such claims, Zeitchik concedes that the more he considers them, the more plausible they seem. He notes that Shapiro's removal from contention coincided with a concerted progressive social media campaign branding him as "Genocide Josh" and linking him to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite Shapiro's support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shapiro also faced criticism after a pro-Israel op-ed he penned over three decades ago resurfaced, alienating anti-Israel elements within the Democratic base.

Unwelcome in Their Home: Hollywood Jews Fear Antisemitism Drove VP Pick

Zeitchik highlights that all the liberal Jewish-American producers, agents, and executives he has spoken to regarding Harris's choice believe it was made to appease an antisemitic strain within the party.

He observes, "But my thoughts seem to be echoed among the solidly liberal Jewish-American producers, agents and executives I’ve talked to – namely, that even if the pick was the result of electoral calculations, those calculations come with baked-in antisemitic assumptions about the electorate."

Unwelcome in Their Home: Hollywood Jews Fear Antisemitism Drove VP Pick

Prominent media figures such as CNN's Van Jones and NBC's Chuck Todd have also questioned whether Shapiro's exclusion was influenced by antisemitic bigots or pressure from the far left within the party.

Zeitchik acknowledges that he and his Jewish colleagues have attempted to dismiss accusations of antisemitism from right-wing sources, only to encounter equally concerning sentiments from the opposite direction. He points out the gleeful reactions of those who targeted Shapiro, who openly embraces his Jewish faith.

Such reactions, he writes, evoke the shattering question asked by many liberal Jews after the October 7 incident: "is the ground being pulled out from under us?"

While praising Walz's record of opposing antisemitism, Zeitchik argues that his pro-Jewish credentials do not preclude the possibility of Harris's choice being influenced by antisemitism.

He concludes, "And so here liberal Jews again find ourselves, hopelessly marooned between a belief that Democratic policies are fundamentally better for our interests and yet worried we are not welcome in our own home."