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)

South Carolina for United Israel: The South Carolina state legislature has unanimously passed a bill calling on the state of Israel to retain control over the West Bank and highlighting what it terms the 'cordial and mutually beneficial relations' enjoyed by Israel and South Carolina since 1948" writes Samuel Sokol." The bill, which was authored by Representative Alan Clemmons (R), was adopted on June 2 and was intended as an indictment of President Obama's Middle East policy. … The state lawmaker took issue with the President's belief that Jerusalem must be divided and that Israel return to the 1967 lines." Sokol includes the text, which he notes Clemmons had sent to legislatures in neighboring states. (June 25, 2011)

Florida for Israel's right to Judea and Samaria: The Florida legislature passed a bill just like the South Carolina one, 39-0 in the Senate and 108-0 in the House, stating that "the 650,000 Jews presently residing in the areas of Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem reside there legitimately." Astonishing, (March 6, 2012)

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