A disagreement over denouncing antisemitism in Philadelphia as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had tough words for the president of the University of Pennsylvania. NBC10 political reporter Lauren Mayk spoke with the governor and has more.
After calling a pro-Palestinian protest outside of Goldie, a Jewish-owned restaurant in Center City Philadelphia, a “blatant act of antisemitism," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the eatery on Wednesday.
"Got some great falafel and tahini shakes here, which I'm looking forward to having on my way back to the Capitol," the first-term Democrat said. "I think this is a moment where the good people of Philadelphia should come together and not only support restaurants like this, but need to stand up against hate and antisemitism in all forms."
And, during the visit, the governor took a moment to bash remarks that University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill made before Congress during a Tuesday hearing about on-campus antisemitism.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
"That was an unacceptable statement from the president of Penn," he said on Magill's inability to condemn calls for genocide against Jewish people when prompted by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY. "Frankly, I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide."
Shapiro was in town following weekend protests outside Goldie, where those in attendance demanded a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War and chanted "Goldie, Goldie, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”
This week, on social media, Shapiro condemned the protest as antisemetic. He also said he had spoken to Goldie co-owner Michael Solomonov and looked "forward to breaking bread" there soon.
Politics
On Wednesday, he continued his sentiment noting that protesting is a right that should be protected, but that a Jewish-owned business should not be held responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.
"But, there should be no place, no place for antisemitism, bigotry, like we saw the other night demonstrating right here in front of Goldie," he said.
Going further, Shapiro said calls for boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses throughout the city was something that "harkens back to 1930s Germany," making reference to actions during the Nazi regime ahead of World War II and the Holocaust.
"There's just no place for that in Philadelphia or any place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," he said.
In discussing University of Pennsylvania president Magill's comments before Congress -- in which Magill would not provide a clear answer when asked if calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate school policies -- Shapiro said the moment was a "failure of leadership."
"She needed to give a one word answer and she failed to meet that test," the governor said.
He continued, saying the board of directors at the university now has a "serious decision" to make concerning whether Magill's comments represent the values of the Ivy League institution and the values of the board of the University of Pennsylvania.
"I think they need to meet, and meet soon, to make that determination," he said.
In fact, taking a moment to clarify his statements, Shapiro noted that he has been in contact with the leadership at the University of Pennsylvania following the Palestine Writes Literature Festival that took place on campus in September.
Shapiro said he has spoken to Magill following that "hateful festival" in order to determine a plan of action "so all students can feel safe on campus."
But, he's seen no action taken since.
"They have seemingly failed every step of the way to take concrete action to make sure all students feel safe on campus," Shapiro said. "And then, the testimony yesterday took it to the next level. It's failed leadership."
Contacted Wednesday morning, the representatives of the University of Pennsylvania have not responded to a request for comment.
During many rallies across the U.S. amid the Israel-Hamas War, protesters have accused the Israeli government of committing genocide against Palestinians. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish non-governmental organization and advocacy group, has spoken out against those accusations.
“Genocide is a legal term, and in no way do Israeli policies and actions meet this legal threshold,” an ADL spokesperson wrote. “Rather, the sensationalist use of the term genocide in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not only inaccurate and misleading, but it serves to demonize the State of Israel and to diminish recognized acts of genocide.”
The United Nations posted background information and a definition of genocide on its website.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
