The Spark Weekly | October 11 | The Governor's Race Recap

So I want to move on to, uh, an issue that was brought up right at the top, uh, by Garrity and then, uh, really was an issue and has been an issue for Governor Shapiro for a while, particularly because he is the most prominent Jewish politician in Pennsylvania and one of the most prominent Jewish politicians in the country, and that is the issue of Israel and the war in Gaza.

Last night for the debate, it was the anniversary of the October 7th attack when Hamas militants killed or kidnapped nearly 1,200 Israelis and several Americans, uh, and, you know, injured, harmed, sexually assaulted many more.

In the three years since, Israel has killed more than 70,000 Gazans, including more than 20,000 children, and has destroyed eight out of 10 buildings, including hospitals, schools, and homes in Gaza, and that's according to the United Nations, which has also commissioned investigations that have found Israel is likely committing genocide.

That war and US support for Israel is deeply unpopular, particularly among the Democratic base and a growing wing of the Republican Party, an isolationist wing of the Republican Party.

Jillian, Governor Shapiro has aspirations for higher office.

Though he doesn't necessarily want to directly address that, he has those aspirations.

How does his stance on Israel affect what he wants to do next?

Yeah, he really, um, uh, it- had to face it last night in a question that he received from the moderators, um, about a recent poll conducted by the, the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Times and Siena University that found that 60% of likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania do not want the US to provide economic and military support to Israel.

Um, so after being prompted a little bit more, he, he eventually did, uh, reiterate his su- uh, support for, for Israel.

It's something that he has consistently been supportive of.

Um, uh, but he, he definitely, uh, will need to rectify this, um, once he gets into 2028, um, it, it, as it is something that is, uh, growing unpopular among, um, Democratic voters who will decide in, in a Democratic primary, um, whether someone, um, whether somebody advances on- into the general election.

So I want to move on to, uh, an issue that was brought up right at the top, uh, by Garrity and then, uh, really was an issue and has been an issue for Governor Shapiro for a while, particularly because he is the most prominent Jewish politician in Pennsylvania and one of the most prominent Jewish politicians in the country, and that is the issue of Israel and the war in Gaza.

Last night for the debate, it was the anniversary of the October 7th attack when Hamas militants killed or kidnapped nearly 1,200 Israelis and several Americans, uh, and, you know, injured, harmed, sexually assaulted many more.

In the three years since, Israel has killed more than 70,000 Gazans, including more than 20,000 children, and has destroyed eight out of 10 buildings, including hospitals, schools, and homes in Gaza, and that's according to the United Nations, which has also commissioned investigations that have found Israel is likely committing genocide.

That war and US support for Israel is deeply unpopular, particularly among the Democratic base and a growing wing of the Republican Party, an isolationist wing of the Republican Party.

Jillian, Governor Shapiro has aspirations for higher office.

Though he doesn't necessarily want to directly address that, he has those aspirations.

How does his stance on Israel affect what he wants to do next?

Yeah, he really, um, uh, it- had to face it last night in a question that he received from the moderators, um, about a recent poll conducted by the, the Philadelphia Inquirer and New York Times and Siena University that found that 60% of likely Democratic voters in Pennsylvania do not want the US to provide economic and military support to Israel.

Um, so after being prompted a little bit more, he, he eventually did, uh, reiterate his su- uh, support for, for Israel.

It's something that he has consistently been supportive of.

Um, uh, but he, he definitely, uh, will need to rectify this, um, once he gets into 2028, um, it, it, as it is something that is, uh, growing unpopular among, um, Democratic voters who will decide in, in a Democratic primary, um, whether someone, um, whether somebody advances on- into the general election.