Florida Governor DeSantis In J’lem: US Should ‘Butt Out’ Of Israel’s Affairs, Let Israelis Figure Out Their Future

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at the Jerusalem Post conference Thursday, stressing the State of Israel was 75 years young but the Jewish people more than 3,000 years old. He mentioned that the US was the first country to recognize Israel, doing so minutes after the Declaration of Independence.

“The Arabs tried to slay the Jewish State in its infancy,” said DeSantis, comparing the War for Independence to David slaying Goliath.

Governor Ron DeSantis praised Israel’s ability to maintain the only democracy in the Middle East despite the threat of a nuclear Iran, Palestinian Arab terror, and other threats from within and abroad. DeSantis described the “apocalyptic ideology” of Iran which views the US and Israel as its foremost enemies, represents an existential threat to Israel since they seek to use nuclear weapons against it.

Desantis criticized the UN for making unprecedented criticism of Israel- 125 condemnatory resolutions since 2015 and 55 for all the rest of the world- “How can this be justified,” he pondered.

He said that the UN was excusing the conduct of rogue regimes and targeting only Israel for criticism was guilty of anti-Semitism. The governor described his actions to combat anti-semitism and working against BDS in Florida. He added that his administration had worked to perpetuate the Holocaust, including granting a medal to Benjamin Ferencz, the last prosecutor alive from Nurenberg (who recently passed away at 103 years old).

“Soon there will come a day when there are no longer any Holocaust survivors alive,” said DeSantis. “We must remember the horrors of the Holocaust because those who forget history are bound to repeat its mistakes,” he added.

DeSantis revealed that he had prayed at the Western Wall on one visit to Israel that Florida be spared hurricanes during the hurricane season and that one such storm which was travelling towards Florida suddenly moved north “and I chalk that up to my prayer at the Western Wall.”

Vowing that the US embassy would “remain in Jerusalem no matter where the political winds of change will blow,” he added, “The US must defend Israel against disfavored treatment by the UN and agenda-driven international bodies…and we must reject those who reject Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State.” He added that the US must help Israel maintain its qualitative military superiority.

DeSantis also urged the US government to “butt out of Israel’s affairs.”

“You’re a smart country. You can figure it out. We shouldn’t butt in to these important issues,” DeSantis told a cheering audience at the Jerusalem Post conference, in an apparent reference to the Biden administration’s strong opposition to the proposed judicial reforms spearheaded by the Netanyahu government.

Praising the Jewish people’s initiative in rebuilding their national homeland after a 2,000 year exile, he said, “I’m reminded of a quote by David Ben-Gurion. In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”

“Before the Jews got here, this was not exactly the land of opportunity…And yet against all odds, the people of Israel have taken a barren desert and transformed it into an oasis of freedom and innovation – a vibrant society in one of the world’s toughest neighborhoods,” he pointed out.