As events in Israel and Gaza began to unfold, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis decided to send planes to the war-torn region to bring Floridians home. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the state has authorized $50 million for the flights to Israel, but of the more than 700 people who have been brought home so far, less than 100 have actually been from Florida. But while Governor DeSantis inserted himself into world events, he faced problems back home with one Jewish constituent in particular.
Related: The Neo-Nazi Gathering Outside of Disney World is Nothing New in DeSantis’ Florida
Florida State Representative Randy Fine, the only Jewish representative in the state, penned an Op-Ed this week in the Washington Times in which he blasted Governor DeSantis for remaining silent while Neo-Nazis demonstrated throughout the state, including in front of Walt Disney World in Central Florida.
Fine wrote in his Op-Ed:
Eighteen months ago, my Nazi “friends” showed up in Florida. They assaulted a Rabbi. They beat up a Jew who yelled back at one of their protests. They commandeered highway overpasses to illegally hang banners saying “Gas the Jews.” They have tormented Jews at their homes with filth. Until a few weeks ago, Governor DeSantis said almost nothing. And worse, he did almost nothing.
Perhaps even more damaging to Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, Fine flipped his endorsement for the Republican nomination for President from DeSantis to former president Donald Trump. Trump currently leads DeSantis by nearly 40 percent in nationwide polls. While DeSantis is now in second place in Iowa, he has fallen to third place in New Hampshire behind former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Early last summer, a group of Neo-Nazis demonstrated in front of the entrance to Walt Disney World, flying “DeSantis 2024” banners next to Nazi flags. It took DeSantis nearly two weeks to finally respond, calling it a media “farce.” Two months later, the Neo-Nazis were back at Disney World, and DeSantis remained silent. Neo-Nazi activity has increased during Governor DeSantis’ two terms in office, and he has said very little about the increased activity other than claiming the media was blowing it out of proportion.
Representative Fine also claimed, “Every piece of legislation you hear [DeSantis] talk about regarding Jewish issues is one I wrote. I love his words. His actions have broken my heart.” Fine praised President Trump for moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem.
Fine, the Florida House Republican, first ran for office in 2016 and had originally endorsed DeSantis but has not very publicly flipped his endorsement. Fine also sighted a video released by the DeSantis campaign that featured Neo-Nazi imagery and symbols. He also claimed that he had raised funds for a Holocaust Center in Florida a year before DeSantis took office, but they had yet to break ground. Fine said it “has taken longer to commemorate the deaths of six million Jews than it took the Allies to stop the deaths of six million more.”
The loss of a Florida Republican comes as the DeSantis campaign is struggling to find voters and money. After losing his billionaire donors, the DeSantis campaign struggles to find donors and have enough money to remain viable in the race.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.