Florida Takes Swift Steps to Back Israel During Surprise Special Session

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- After resounding endorsements, the Florida Senate unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the state of Israel and condemning the Hamas terror group. This legislation joins two other resolutions expressing Florida's pro-Israel stance this special session.

Sen. Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) thanked the bill sponsor Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach), highlighting the rise of antisemitism: "There are Jews who are being terrorized here in the U.S. simply for being Jewish. We cannot accept this behavior from the right wing Neo-nazis, nor from the left wing on college campuses."

"I will call out members of my own political party who are lying about the current war, and who are promoting anti-semitism: I hope all of you will do the same," Polsky referenced U.S. Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib's defense of the Hamas "from the River to the Sea" call to arms.

Sen. Berman's resolution, SR 8C, joins two other resolutions this special session demonstrating Israeli support. The more aggressive of the two, HR 11C by Republican Rep. Randy Fine, explicitly recognizes Israel's right to defend themselves by "eliminating Hamas without ceasefire and pause". After a supermajority vote, the House adopted Rep. Fine's resolution.

Though the Florida Senate adopted Berman's resolution unanimously, the House faced a democratic divide. Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon introduced a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, but after Rep. Fine's tense comments calling a ceasefire "terrorism", Nixon's resolution was struck down.

The special session turned from overseas to domestic threats Wednesday morning, responding to an over 400 percent increase in anti-semitic incidents in the United States following the October 7th Hamas massacre. Sen. Alexis Calatayud's (R-Miami) Security Grant bill passed the legislature, allocating $25 million to Jewish day schools and preschools for security measures.

Both Rep. Fine's and Sen. Berman's resolutions will be sent to the Florida delegation of the U.S. Congress, along with the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. as a token of Floridian sentiment. Fine's resolution, per his statement, will also be sent to President Biden.