Shapiro forced to apologise for his past positions on the Palestinians. Harassment allegations against his adviser also weigh heavily

"He worked on a farm and in a fishing business. The programme also included volunteering in projects at an Israeli army base. He was never engaged in any military activity,' Bonder added.

Asked about the article, Shapiro replied: 'Something I wrote when I was 20 years old? ... I was 20 years old." He emphasised his support for the two-state solution, saying, "I have said for years, long before 7 October, that I support a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living peacefully side by side, able to determine their own future."

While Governor Shapiro emerges as a leading contender for the vice presidential nomination, his views on the war have aroused spirited opposition from pro-Palestinian groups. Shapiro compared the transgressions of pro-Palestinian protesters to those of white supremacists and the KKK. He also called for the disruption of a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Pennsylvania. Shapiro argued that 'peaceful protests cannot be an excuse for anti-Semitism'.

Despite his public pro-Israel stance, Shapiro has been openly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him in January 'a dangerous and destructive force' and 'one of the worst leaders of all time'. The Palestinian newspaper Quds News Network also wrote: 'Shapiro commented on Vice-President Kamala Harris's remarks on the war in Gaza, agreeing that he was right in pointing out the suffering of innocent people in the region'.

This has not allayed the fears of pro-Palestinian groups in the US, who criticise Shapiro's stance on campus protests and argue that they might go so far as to not vote for Kamala Harris if she chooses Shapiro as her running mate.

Some argue that those who criticise Shapiro for his past views do so because he is Jewish and Zionist. Critics argue that Shapiro's military volunteer work - a five-week stint on a kibbutz, according to his spokesman - should put him out of the running. They also point out the inconsistencies of the other two favourites, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Beshear stated that the US should not publicly criticise Israel, and Walz was criticised for his stance on detachment from Israel. Of the three, Shapiro was the most openly critical of Israel.

But the controversy against Josh Shapiro does not stop there. Last September, Pennsylvania, of which he is governor, paid $295,000 to settle charges against Michaele A. Vereb, one of his closest aides, against whom an employee had pointed the finger for sexual advances and criticism she had been subjected to after rejecting him. According to reports in the New York Times, Vereb had held the post for six months after the allegations were leaked and only resigned after a copy of the complaint was published. Upon his release, Shapiro's office had described him as a person 'dedicated to serving' others. The National Women's Defense League asked the Harris campaign to investigate the case.

The vice-president announced her intention to reveal her decision on Tuesday during a rally in Philadelphia. A choice by Shapiro could potentially exacerbate tensions within the pro-Palestinian faction of the Democratic Party, further increasing tensions as the Democratic National Convention approaches in Chicago on 19 August.