Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was in South Florida on Sunday, speaking at the Teach Florida Annual Legislative Breakfast before a crowd of approximately 800 members of the state's Jewish community.
The governor and presidential hopeful noted that the events of recent weeks -- namely the Israel-Hamas War -- changed the central topics of his planned speech to be geared more toward the conflict in the Middle East and Florida's response.
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"These last few weeks have been a very difficult time for the world, of course, for Israel, but for many people in the United States, and very, very many people here in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "The barbarity reached a new low."
The governor spoke for approximately half an hour, condemning pro-Palestinian rallies in the U.S., and reaffirming the importance of security for Jewish day schools in Florida. Moreover, also speaking with "Meet the Press" on Sunday, DeSantis defended his call to ban pro-Palestinian groups from state colleges.
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"We had a deal with this groups called Students for Justice in Palestine," he said during the legislative breakfast. "You do have a First Amendment right to oppose the U.S., to oppose Israel, to even be very hateful in what you do. I mean, that's well-established. But you don't have the right to join forces with a terrorist group."
Gov. DeSantis further accused the student group of claiming to be part of the Hamas movement, and called for the deactivation of Students for Justice in Palestine throughout the state's public colleges and universities.
Fellow speakers included Dr. Allan Jacob and Melissa Glaser, both with Teach Florida. The nonprofit is a division of the Teach Coalition, advocating on behalf of nonpublic schools and parents, particularly regarding Jewish education.
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"Many of us know people that are actively involved in the struggle," Jacob said. "We are all sad for many reasons. We are angry for many reasons. We are frustrated for many reasons, and, for the first time, we are also fearful for many reasons."
Dr. Jacob was appointed to DeSantis' transition team when he was elected governor, serving on the Advisory Committee on Education and Workforce Development.
"Teach Florida Services for All will help fix a federally broken system where students with learning disabilities are not receiving evaluations and adequate services from the districts," Glaser said, touting a new Teach Florida initiative. "Students with disabilities deserve better, and we have to help them get there."
With eyes on the 2024 presidential race, DeSantis highlighted his administrations work to bring approximately 700 Americans -- "mostly Floridians, but not all" -- back to the U.S. from Israel, while calling out the Biden Administration for not doing enough on that front.
"You had entire families that were being rescued, and this was a huge lifeline," he said. "I had one mother tell me she had a very young daughter. The daughter just kept saying, 'I don't want these rockets. We got to get away from the rockets. We have to get back to Florida. Florida is where safety is,' and so, we were able to get that done, and, you know, no one else was willing to step up and lead."
DeSantis further mentioned the Nov. 6 special legislative session, during which he said he hoped to bolster state sanctions against Iran, and fund additional security for Jewish day schools, garnering a standing ovation from those in attendance at the breakfast.
"You can count on the State of Florida to be a friend when it comes to security needs for things like Jewish day schools. We understand it's important, and we will do that," he said. "You can also count on us to defend your rights as parents to direct the education and upbringing of your kids, and that means being able to take a scholarship and going to a Jewish day school. It may mean being able to choose a charter school; maybe even choose a different school in your school district that is doing the job for your kids."
