Josh Shapiro signs artillery shells for Ukraine, blasted for 'treating weapons like sports memorabilia'

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA: Governor Josh Shapiro (D-Pa) accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a tour of a military facility in Scranton on Sunday, September 22. The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant reportedly built some of the weaponry equipment used by Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The next day, Shapiro shared a clip of him signing some of the artillery shells and writing a message of solidarity with the Ukrainian soldiers fighting for their homeland on X (formerly Twitter).

However, his post in favor of arming Ukraine was not well accepted by netizens as they reminded him of a decades-old statement where he called citizens of another war-torn nation, Palestine, as "too battle-minded" to ever achieve peace.

Josh Shapiro's differing stances on Ukraine and Palestine

In his tweet about the visit to the ammunition plant with Zelenskyy, Josh Shapiro wrote, "We must all do our part in the fight for freedom — from the workers in Scranton who make Pennsylvania the arsenal of democracy to the brave Ukrainian soldiers protecting their country."

"We stand with Ukraine in their just defense of their homeland in the face of Russian aggression," he added.

The statement contrasted sharply with a piece that the 51-year-old had written for his college newspaper three decades ago.

According to the New York Times, Shapiro, as a practicing Jew, has been one of the staunchest supporters of Israel within the Democratic Party. As a student at the University of Rochester in New York, he once attempted to explain why the two-state solution would not work for Palestinians in an essay.

“They are too battle-minded to be able to establish a peaceful homeland of their own,” wrote Shapiro. “They will grow tired of fighting amongst themselves and will turn outside against Israel.”

However, he has since insisted that his opinion has evolved with age.

Internet slams Josh Shapiro and calls him a 'disgrace'

Netizens called Josh Shapiro a "disgrace" for signing the weapons of mass destruction.

One X user even shared the clip and reminded people about Shapiro's earlier jibe at Palestine.

"There’s Gov Josh Shapiro with Zelensky signing artillery shells at a weapons plant in Scranton, PA. For those unfamiliar, Shapiro is the guy who said Palestinians are too 'battle-minded' to make peace," they shared.

"Wow signing a bomb to kill people, what a disgrace," stated another.

"When did all our politicians start treating weapons of war like sports memorabilia? Why do they find killing people so amusing?" asked one person.

"Instead of signing bombs, maybe focus on signing a peace treaty," expressed someone else..

"Disgusting bloodthirsty warmongers," one person tweeted.

"Signing rockets no matter where they are heading is such depraved behavior," noted another person.

"Shameful to say the least," observed another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.