Pittsburgh rabbi reacts to search warrant details in attack at Gov. Shapiro's Harrisburg residence
A Pittsburgh rabbi says Gov. Josh Shapiro holds moderate views of the Israel-Gaza war that are in line with where the majority of American Jews stand on the controversial topic.
Shapiro's views have come into focus as a search warrant revealed the suspect in the arson attack on the governor's residence was motivated by the governor's perceived views on the war.
Rabbi Daniel Fellman of Temple Sinai said he's also a moderate on the subject, saying he stands with Israel while being critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"What I've noticed is the American Jewish community is very divided," Fellman said. "There are people who are on the far left, there are people who are on the far right. The vast majority of the American Jewish community is somewhere in the middle."
Shapiro has said both Israel has expressed its right to defend itself and that the death and destruction in Gaza cannot be ignored, which is a comment he made to the Washington Post. Shapiro has also called Netanyahu one of the worst leaders of all time.
"He recognizes that Netanyahu is a flawed character," Fellman said. "He isn't saying, you know, Israel's right or wrong. He's saying, look, Israel's got a responsibility to behave properly, but also has to defend itself. And I think that's a moderate position to have."
The middle view, he explained, recognizes that multiple groups call the land home and holy, and that Israel has a right to defend itself while Palestinians also have a right to live in freedom and security.
Critics have argued Shapiro has gone too far when it comes to some pro-Palestinian protests. Shapiro said he supports those peacefully protesting. He's called some protests antisemitic that others view as peaceful
He urged the University of Pennsylvania to disband a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on that campus, which he said had gotten out of control.
A demonstrator involved in the protests on the University of Pittsburgh's campus was not available for an interview on Wednesday.
Rabbi says arson attack "scared the living daylights out of me"
For Fellman and countless other Jews, seeing an arson attack on the home of a Jewish governor on the first night of Passover felt like it could not have been a coincidence.
"It scared the living daylights out of me. The America I know and love is welcoming and accepting of all faiths," Fellman said. "To think someone would have did that to a Jewish governor on Passover, I found horribly horrifying."
Information from a search warrant only helped confirm that his suspicions were not misplaced.
"To criticize a governor for a foreign policy issue over which he has no control is misplaced at very best, and to criticize a Jewish governor for a policy related to the land of Israel, to me, is inherently antisemitic," Fellman said.
As for the attack itself, he makes one thing clear.
"I'm fairly convinced that had he been a Presbyterian governor, the governor's mansion likely wouldn't have been attacked," Fellman said. "I think it's about him being a Jew."
It's something he explained that is difficult to think about.
"It's painful, it's very painful," Fellman said. "This is the painful reality of living in 2025 in America: the extremes have gotten out of control."
