Fla. Gov. Candidate DeSantis Rips Gillum for 'Anti-Israel' Ties

Ties to groups like Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), which supports boycotts of Israel, have raised questions about Florida's Democratic gubernatorial challenger Andrew Gillum and his pledge to "push back against anti-Israel efforts, like BDS," The Washington Free Beacon reports.

"In all my years in Florida, I've never seen a candidate for state office who has been as anti-Israel as Andrew Gillum," Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who is running against Gillum for governor, told the Free Beacon. "He opposes our embassy in Jerusalem, he does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's eternal and indivisible capital, and he even criticizes Israel's response against Hamas [militants] in May of 2018.

"His anti-Israel views are part and parcel of his overall far left wing, Democrat socialist agenda. He doesn't share the values of the vast majority of people in Florida with his position."

Florida is a state with a with large pro-Israel community and the BDS anti-Semitic movement seeks to wage war on the Jewish state, economically and politically, per the Beacon.

In addition to BDS, Dream Defenders has publicly endorsed Gillum, who was "pleased and proud" to  have their endorsement. Dream Defenders is a Black Lives Matter advocate group which seeks to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and criticizes Israel for "genocide" of Palestinians, according to Dream Defenders' website.

DeSantis is striking back against boycotts of Israel and co-authoring legislation to protect American businesses being pressured by anti-Semitic groups.

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