Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had an advantage over his Republican rivals when speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) summit in Las Vegas. As the current governor of Florida, a state with a significant Jewish population and Republican-controlled legislature, DeSantis was able to highlight his recent actions in support of Israel, particularly in the wake of the Israel-Hamas War.
In the weeks following the Hamas attack that killed 1,400 Israelis, DeSantis organized evacuation flights from Israel for stranded Florida residents. He also sent two cargo planes with relief supplies to Israel. In addition, DeSantis called a special session of the Legislature to strengthen the state’s business sanctions against Iran, Hamas’s main sponsor.
DeSantis also took measures to protect Jewish schools, synagogues, and other institutions within the state by mobilizing law enforcement. He ordered the decertification of Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Hamas group active on college campuses.
During his speech, DeSantis emphasized the need to address campus antisemitism and criticized the lack of safety felt by Jewish students on many campuses. He called for an end to political correctness and applauded Florida’s state university presidents for taking a firm stance against Hamas and refusing to find “moral equivalence” between Hamas and Israel.
DeSantis also voiced his opposition to accepting refugees from Gaza, citing concerns about importing toxic ideologies and the pathologies of the Gaza strip. He warned about the rise of antisemitism in European countries that had lax immigration policies.
DeSantis criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, accusing them of privately trying to limit Israel’s ability to defend itself while publicly expressing support. He opposed pressuring Israel to accept a two-state solution, arguing that it was impossible to have such a solution with groups that do not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
Other Republican candidates at the summit had differing approaches to the Middle East, with some advocating for a more interventionist policy and others favoring a more isolationist stance. Vivek Ramaswamy, another candidate, emphasized Israel’s right to defend itself and expressed support for the United States returning to a policy of avoiding foreign military entanglements that do not directly relate to national security.
Overall, DeSantis used his position as Florida’s governor to highlight his recent actions in support of Israel, while also addressing concerns about campus antisemitism and advocating for a strong alliance between the United States and Israel based on self-interest.