Florida is confirmed to have helped with the recent delivery of weapons and ammunition, as well as body armor and helmets, to Israel earlier this week.
The Jewish nation is calling up reservists from around the world and preparing for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
On Oct. 7 more than 1400 Israelis were killed when Hamas terrorists broke out of Gaza and attacked Jewish settlements.
Jeremy Redfern, the press secretary of Gov. Ron DeSantis, told The Epoch Times that the equipment transfer was undertaken at the request of the Israeli Consul General in Miami, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, and the Israeli government.
On Oct. 17, two cargo planes carrying 85 pallets of donated supplies bound for hospitals and government agencies made the journey, along with the four-passenger flights that rescued nearly 700 Americans from the war zone.
In consultation with the consul general, Florida confirmed that drones, body armor, and helmets for first responders were included with the healthcare and hospital supplies.
“Since we were already sending supplies to Israel, Florida was able to include the body armor and helmets on our cargo flights,” Mr. Redfern said. “The state did not purchase these items.”
The governor’s office was then contacted by members of the Israeli government to assist in clearing “federal bureaucratic hurdles” required to transport weapons and ammunition.
In an announcement on Oct. 26, Mr. Redfern said this shipment was transported separately, and none of the weapons or ammunition were purchased by Florida.
The details of that weapons transfer, specifically the identity of the private parties who donated the supplies—and the exact bureaucratic hurdles that needed to be cleared in order to execute the operation—remain unclear.
“It is not illegal for the governor of a state to offer a measure of foreign assistance to another country,” John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council, told the Associated Press.
Since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, Mr. DeSantis has continued to make his pro-Israel position clear.
Along with mustering the Sunshine State’s emergency resources to organize rescue flights for “stranded” Americans after major commercial carriers suspended operations in the area, he has also consulted with State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues to order the deactivation of National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters, citing their support for Hamas’ terrorism.“Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated.”
Mr. DeSantis has also promised that he would terminate the student visas of any foreign students in the United States who openly support Hamas and has spoken out against bringing any refugees from Gaza into the country.
The Florida Legislature will meet for a special session on Nov. 6 to discuss, among other matters, the governor’s proposals to strengthen sanctions on Iran and strengthen protection for Jewish communities.
