Yesterday, while speaking at a Republican fundraiser in Manchester, New Hampshire, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' remarks were briefly interrupted by two young women who called themselves "Jews Against DeSantis" who held a sign which read, "Ron DeSantis: Loves Israel, Hates Jews", before being escorted off the stage.
I have no admiration for DeSantis, who is widely expected to seek the 2024 GOP nomination, whether it's the "Don't Say Gay" law, interfering with organizations who dare to disagree with his views (see Disney), whose government lures migrants with fake Massachusetts documents and his vacillation on Ukraine. There are also certainly concerns about DeSantis's unwillingness to condemn anti-Semitic acts committed in Florida campaigning for openly anti-Semitic Republicans like Pennsylvania's Doug Mastriano.
However, "Jews Against DeSantis" is a campaign by IfNotNow, a group which is virulently anti-Israel and frequently describes Israel as an Apartheid regime. Indeed, IfNotNow issued a statement on Twitter following the incident which read, “We’re making clear that DeSantis is an antisemite whose actions and policies both support Israeli apartheid and put Jews in danger."
Their juvenile antics notwithstanding, by defaming Israel, IfNotNow not only deflects from the question from DeSantis' association with anti-Semites and draws attention to their own anti-Semitism towards Israeli Jews. IfNotNow is an unserious organization who could become a serious problem if they are viewed as representative of the views of American Jews.
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