Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis has been governor of Florida since winning the election in 2019 after an illustrious career in the military. The Yale and Havard-educated lawyer went on to defeat Democratic nominee Charlie Crist by an astounding 19.4% to win reelection in 2022.
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During his time as Florida’s governor, DeSantis has been recognized for his fairly right-leaning politics and encouraged the passing of the Parental Rights in Education Act, which, among many things, prohibits public schools from teaching minors about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Right-Winged Leaders Stand With Israel in Conflict
DeSantis, like many other Republicans, has been vocally outspoken about the current Israeli-Hamas conflict, with right-winged politicians suggesting Israel has a right to defend its nation despite considerable pushback from leftist groups.
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In May, DeSantis called out the “anti-Semitic” leftists during a press conference, claiming that they all needed a thorough lesson in history.
Reasons Behind DeSantis’ Remarks
The governor’s remarks come during a particularly challenging time in the US, as supporters of both sides of the Israeli-Hamas conflict have taken to the streets to protest.
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One such gathering of activists who were protesting for peace due to the significant number of Palestinian citizens who have died during the conflict appears to have greatly irritated DeSantis. According to the governor, they set up illegal establishments on college campuses and harassed Jews and members of law enforcement.
The Destruction of Israel
When speaking during the press conference, DeSantis claimed that the protestors were basically calling for an end to the state of Israel.
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“They’re saying things like ‘from the river to the sea,’ you know, that’s not some cheeky chant,” DeSantis said. “They’re basically saying they want to see the destruction of the State of Israel and a second Holocaust.
DeSantis Claims Protestors Views Align With Hamas’
The Florida governor continued by suggesting that the protestors are calling for the same thing as the terrorist group Hamas, who run a large portion of Palestine.
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“That’s what Hamas wants. That’s why Hamas baked babies in ovens. That’s why they were raping the mothers. That’s why they were beheading elderly people on October 7.”
Activists Never Protested Against October 7 Attacks, Says DeSantis
DeSantis claims that when Hamas-led militant groups attacked residents of Israel back on October 7, 2023, none of them protested against the killing of innocent Israeli citizens. He said the protestors were “very quiet” then.
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During the horrific events that unfolded on Oct. 7, it’s been estimated that around 1,200 Israelis were killed, according to Al Jazeera.
Leftists Need a History Lesson
Toward the end of the press conference, DeSantis alleges the leftist protestors are misinformed. “I’d also say people should learn their history,” he said.
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“The fact of the matter is, there’s never been a country or state called Palestine. Jews have the longest connection to that territory; it goes back to biblical times thousands and thousands of years.”
DeSantis Gives a History Lesson
According to DeSantis, the Jews have every right to the state of Israel from a historical standpoint.
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“They were displaced by hostile forces over the years, but just in the immediate history until World War I, that was hundreds of years of rule by the Ottoman Empire, by Turks, that was not a Palestinian state,” he continued.
The Modern Nation of Israel Is Founded
DeSantis continued, “And then the Brits took it over after World War I, they had the Mandate for Palestine. And the vision was to have a Jewish state and an Arab state.”
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“And then the UN, after World War II, adopted a Jewish state, an Arab state. Jews accepted it founded a modern Israel; the Arabs rejected it and went to war against Israel, a war that they lost last.”
DeSantis Receives Backlash
DeSantis has been in the limelight since the conflict began last year. He was accused of using state resources for a series of operations, including evacuating US citizens from Israel on charter jets.
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He’s also said to have been exporting aid, claimed to have procured weapons for Israel, and even began mobilizing Florida’s state guard for an overseas conflict, according to The Guardian.
Chair of the State’s Democratic Party Calls Out Governor
At the time, the chair of the state’s Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, called out DeSantis for helping source weapons, ammunition, and military equipment for the State of Israel.
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“President Biden is the commander in chief of our military, not Ron DeSantis,” said Fried. “This is a gross breach of norms and a potential violation of federal laws governing the shipment of weapons.”