By Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says members of then–Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 vice presidential vetting team asked whether he had ever served as an agent for the Israeli government—an inquiry he recounts as offensive and uniquely targeted, particularly because he was the only Jewish contender under consideration.
The episode is detailed in Shapiro’s forthcoming memoir, Where We Keep the Light, set for release January 27. In excerpts reported by The New York Times and ABC News, Shapiro describes a late-stage exchange with Dana Remus, who served on the vetting team, in which she asked whether he had ever been an agent for Israel.
Shapiro writes that he immediately pushed back, calling the question offensive, and was told it was necessary to ask. According to the memoir, the questioning continued, with Remus asking whether he had ever communicated with an undercover Israeli agent. Shapiro responded, in part, that if the agents were truly undercover, “how the hell would I know?”
The governor, who is Jewish and has spoken openly about his faith, writes that the vetting process placed heavy emphasis on his views on Israel, his handling of campus protests related to Gaza, and other Israel-related matters. He questions whether the same level of scrutiny was applied to other contenders—particularly those who had not held federal office—or whether it was directed at him as “the only Jewish guy in the running.”
The account situates the exchange within the broader context of the 2024 Democratic selection process, when Shapiro was widely viewed as a leading contender for Harris’ running mate amid fierce internal debates over the Israel–Hamas war, U.S.–Israel relations, and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Progressive activists scrutinized Shapiro’s pro-Israel positions, including past volunteer work in Israel—which he has said did not involve military service—and a college opinion piece expressing skepticism about Palestinian–Israeli peace prospects. Shapiro has since said his views evolved and that he supports a two-state solution.
Harris ultimately selected Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, as her running mate and went on to lose handily to Donald Trump. In her own memoir, 107 Days, Harris recounts discussions with Shapiro about how he would address criticism related to Gaza and his college writing, noting his stated commitment to a two-state solution and his public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the summer of 2024, it was clear that Harris would not pick Shapiro, despite being the obvious choice, because he was Jewish, as that would upset the Democratic base, which has grown more and more antisemitic over the past few years.
Shapiro’s spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, told ABC News that the 2024 election occupies only a small portion of the memoir’s broader narrative and that the governor looks forward to discussing the book publicly. In April, Governor Shapiro was forced to evacuate from the governor’s mansion with his family after an anti-Israel activist tried to burn the home down in an effort to assassinate him.
The revelation has drawn sharp criticism from some Jewish leaders and former officials, who argue that the questions echo antisemitic tropes of dual loyalty among American Jews. Aaron Keyak, a former deputy special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism in the Biden administration, described the phrasing as “blatant” in playing into such stereotypes. He questioned the intent behind asking in that manner, suggested it could amount to intimidation, and said he had faced similar differential questioning during his own vetting for a State Department role.
Vice presidential vetting is typically exhaustive, designed to surface potential vulnerabilities before they reach the public stage. But Shapiro’s account underscores how obsessed with Israel liberals have truly become. After not being selected, Shapiro campaigned actively for Harris, even as the episode he now describes lingered beneath the surface of a turbulent election year.
[Read More: Republican Threatens To Impeach Trump]
