Van Jones suggests antisemitism led Kamala Harris to choose Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her VP pick

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Van Jones has called for a dialogue on antisemitism within the Democratic Party following Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her running mate in the 2024 election race.

Following the announcement on Tuesday, August 6, Van Jones said, “You can be for the Palestinians without being an anti-Jewish bigot, but there are some anti-Jewish bigots out there."

Van Jones says Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz was her 'caving into darker parts' of the Democratic Party

Speaking about Kamala Harris' pick of Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Van Jones said, “And there has to be conversations about how much of what just happened is caving into some of these darker parts in the party."

"So that’s going to have to get worked out. It’s going to have to get talked through," he noted.

“So here’s the challenge you’ve got in this party, and people don’t want to talk about it. We got to talk about it," he continued.

"On the one hand, you have a lot of young people concerned about Gaza. You have a lot of Muslims and Arabs and others. They have not felt seen by the Biden administration," Jones added.

The CNN commentator suggested that Harris' selection of Walz over Shapiro might be an attempt to address these concerns within the party, according to Fox News.

Josh Shapiro's controversial stance on Hamas-Israel war invites backlash

In the weeks leading up to the announcement, Kamala Harris' top choices for vice president had been narrowed down to Josh Shapiro, Tim Walz, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

Shapiro was widely considered as a leading candidate who could help Harris secure Pennsylvania, a crucial state for her election campaign.

However, the Keystone State governor faced resistance from young voters and progressives in the Democratic party due to his stance on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of more than 35,000 Palestinians, as per the local health ministry.

Some far-left voices have accused him of supporting Israel's aggressive military actions in Gaza and Shapiro has even been labeled as "Genocide Josh." 

Despite his previous criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and positions on Israel that align with many in the Democratic Party, he has faced accusations of antisemitism within the party.

Internet slams Van Jones calling for dialogue on antisemitism after Kamala Harris' VP pick

After Van Jones called for a discussion on antisemitism in the Democratic Party following Kamala Harris' pick of Tim Walz as her running mate over Josh Shapiro, netizens slammed the CNN commentator's opinion.

"This is insane on so many levels. To imply that anti-Semitism played a part in Kamala Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as a running mate is beyond the pale; Van Jones has lost it. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, Tim Walz is the better candidate w/ the better record," a user on X wrote.

"Dear #CNN! There are a plethora of intelligent black men you can bring on your show. Van Jones is not one of them," a netizen tweeted.

Another user tweeted, "This is so reckless on Van Jones @VanJones68 part. Kamala Harris is free to pick who she wants as her running mate. Why does @CNN keep this clown on their payroll is beyond me. He’s beyond pathetic."

"If Van Jones is second-guessing the Walz pick, that's all the proof you need that it was a genius move. The idea that picking someone from PA is the only way to win PA is historically ignorant. Van should spend as much time on Google as he does trying to make MAGA like him," opined someone else.

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