(Wouldn’t be the first time someone just googled Shapiro and got Jovial Josh mixed up with Blitzkrieg Benjamin)
Shapiro’s College-Era Criticism of Palestinians Draws Fresh Scrutiny [NYTimes -Gift Link]
I do think it is fair to point out he is now 51 and it’s been three decades since he wrote that paper. He is now a supporter of finding a two-state solution.
I also think his opinion on this issue is more nuanced than is being portrayed, because he also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders of all time,” and says he is steering Israel in the “wrong direction”. He has also expressed concerned about the wanton violence in the region, saying “[leaders] can’t ignore the death and destruction [there]” there.
So it’s not as black-and-white as its being portrayed on lemmy. He is definitely pro-Israel, but he is also, anti-Netanyahu, is anti-Hamas, and (unlike his 20-year-old self) believes a two-state solution is possible.
I agree - I just wanted to get something up that had any more context than a screenshot and statement questioning “which Shapiro”.
Yeah, I just find it odd that his feet are being held to fire over a paper he wrote in college before he could even legally drink alcohol.
I mean, at twenty-years-old there is no way he could have had any sort of intimate knowledge or understanding of the Israel-Palestine issue, and it was pre-internet. I just don’t see how people are using a paper from 1993 against him in good faith; even active politicians from the 1990’s to now have changed their views on the matter, so why are we holding Shapiro to his college paper?
It just seems there is a very concentrated campaign to dig up every single piece of dirt on the guy possible.
I mean, he was 20 years old when he wrote that, and he is 51 now; presently, he not only believes a two-state solution is possible, but has also called Netanyahu “one of the worst leaders of all time.”
Basically, while he is definitely pro-israel and pro two-state solution, he is also anti-Netanyahu and anti-Hamas.
I think I would still prefer someone like Mark Kelly, but I cannot help but notice there has been a concentrated campaign to dig up anything and everything on Shapiro. I mean, a college paper from three decades ago? I do not see how that should have any sway nowadays, especially when he has made public statements confirming his stances on issues have changed since then.
