DeSantis says U.S. should stay out of Israel’s debate over democracy: ‘You figure it out’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a conference in Jerusalem on Thursday that the United States should stay out of Israel’s debate over the future of its democracy, as the Jewish state faces a constitutional crisis over a government proposal to overhaul its judicial system.

America must “respect Israel’s right to make its own decisions about its own governance,” DeSantis told the conference, hosted by The Jerusalem Post and Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem. “You’re a smart country – you figure it out. It shouldn’t be for us to butt into these important issues.”

The Republican governor is widely expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination in the coming weeks, and is on an international tour of Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom on a trade mission organized by the state’s economic development agency touting his foreign policy credentials.

If DeSantis runs, he will compete for the nomination against former President Donald Trump, who he suggested in his speech needed convincing in 2017 to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“When I was a U.S. congressman, I was an outspoken proponent and advocate of relocating our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” DeSantis said. “When we were trying to cajole the previous administration to do it, I actually launched a very small delegation over here. We looked at a bunch of different sites, announced this was going to happen. We were confident.”

Israel has been roiled by protests in recent months over a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to overhaul the country’s judiciary, including the selection of Supreme Court judges and the ability of the Israeli Knesset to overrule Supreme Court decisions.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has expressed concern that the Israeli proposal could compromise the country’s democratic character and has called for a compromise.

“We’ve been, publicly and privately, pretty consistent – and you heard from the President as well – on our concerns about the recent developments in Israel. And we’ve been very clear about calling for a compromise before moving forward with these reforms,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press conference this week. “We’re going to continue to have those conversations, again, privately and be pretty vocal publicly.”

DeSantis’ position was expected by scholars of the region, who questioned whether he or Netanyahu would have benefited from the Republican governor taking a more forceful stance.

“He has several tightropes to walk on Israel – the judicial overhaul is one and, to be honest, he doesn’t need to take a position on it,” said Mark Mellman, founder of Democratic Majority for Israel and a veteran pollster of the Jewish community for the Mellman Group.

“I don’t think Netanyahu wants DeSantis to weigh in strongly – it’s not in his personal or political interest, and certainly not in Israel’s national interest,” said David Pollock, the Bernstein fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Netanyahu is at the point where, privately, he doesn’t want to push this too hard, either, because he could see how divisive it is.”

DeSantis promoted popular bipartisan positions on Israel in the speech, advocating for continued defense assistance to the country, a joint front against Iran, enhancement of the Abraham Accords, opposition to efforts to boycott Israel and protection of the state against attacks at the United Nations.

The governor was welcomed by a friendly crowd at the Jerusalem event, and was introduced as a figure whose next visit to Israel could come aboard Air Force One. Miriam Adelson, one of the largest donors in Republican politics and the widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, was in attendance for the speech.