Florida for Israel

The Consulate General of Israel in Miami has issued an undated and unnamed 4-page document, available on the internet, that bears some notice. Its introduction reads:

Over the past three weeks Florida has embraced and supported Israel in a fashion which was unanimous and unsurpassed anywhere in the USA or elsewhere. Statements of support and recognition of Israel's right to self defense were issued in various formats - press releases, public statements and on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC. It is humbling to experience the overwhelming support for Israel and the Israeli Consulate wishes to acknowledge and thank everyone, publicly, for this.

The Great Seal of the State of Florida

Statements in support of Israel's war versus Hamas came from Governor Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum, Senator Mel Martinez, Senator Bill Nelson, and every one of Florida's 25 U.S. House members. The Florida State Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously passed pro-Israel resolutions.The document concludes by noting that "statements of support for Israel were made by various Christian leaders as well as many Hispanic leaders including most of the Cuban organizations in Florida."

Comment: This document points to the muscle of U.S.-Israel relations, a bond that transcends parties, reaches deep into the system, and sometimes, as in this instance, comes close to unanimity. While Israel suffers disproportionately from unfair attacks when it tries to defend itself, the Jewish state also benefits from a unique support network in the United States, one that shows few signs of flagging. (February 5, 2009)

Related Topics:  Arab-Israeli debate in the U.S. receive the latest by email: subscribe to daniel pipes' free mailing list This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.