DeSantis declares himself ‘most pro-Israel governor’ in address to Christian group.
Gov. Ron DeSantis: The Most Pro-Israel Governor
Speaking at the Christians United for Israel 2023 summit on Monday in Arlington, Virginia, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) proudly claimed the title of the “most pro-Israel governor” in the U.S.
“So many people run for office and they promise big things, and then they underdeliver on their promises,”
the governor, who is running for president in 2024, explained.
“One thing that I said was that if you elect me as governor in 2018, I would be the most pro-Israel governor in the United States,” he reminded listeners. “And we have kept our word and kept our promise.”
DeSantis recounted how, before he took office in 2019, rental company Airbnb enacted a policy ”to discriminate against Jews living in Judea and Samaria.” He proudly shared that “we immediately moved to impose our anti-[Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions] sanctions against Airbnb and lo and behold, they reversed their policy.”
Furthermore, he highlighted Florida’s action against Unilever over ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s attempts to stop selling ice cream in the Jewish state.
He further explained to the crowd that now, the principles of the BDS movement are being incorporated into environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria followed by businesses. “They’re specifically targeting Israel,” the governor said. ”And so we made changes to our law to recognize that.”
According to DeSantis, the expanded law went into effect at the beginning of July.
He then announced that “Florida has formally instituted an investigation against Morningstar for violations of our anti-BDS law. We’re not letting them target Israel and get away with it. We’re using our tools to fight back.” Morningstar is a financial ratings firm that has been alleged to support the anti-Israel BDS movement.
“We’ve asked the State Board of Administration to engage Morningstar to assess why the company appears to be blacklisting companies associated with Israel,” Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis said in June. “The company already has a troubling history. If they’re discriminating against Israel, Florida law is clear, and we have no choice but to explore divestment actions against the firm.”
DeSantis’s remarks come days before Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to deliver a joint address to Congress, which several progressive Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to boycott.
Over the weekend, House Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) stirred up controversy when she referred to Israel as a “racist state.” This prompted House Democratic leadership to issue a joint statement reaffirming its support for Israel and its relationship with the U.S. and denying the claim that it is racist.
“Our commitment to a safe and secure Israel as an invaluable partner, ally, and beacon of democracy in the Middle East is ironclad,” the statement read.
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