Vote over Israel exposes rift within Florida Democrats

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democratic legislators split in dramatic fashion on Tuesday over support for Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas, mirroring a nationwide split within the party over the Mideast conflict.

The peak moment of tension occurred when Jacksonville Democrat and state Rep. Angie Nixon tried to convince fellow House members to support a non-binding resolution that called for the “de-escalation and cease-fire in the state of Israel and occupied Palestine.”

Nixon’s resolution — which received just two yes votes — was called antisemitic by both Republicans and Jewish Democrats. Rep. Randy Fine, a Brevard County legislator and the lone Jewish Republican in the Legislature, questioned why Nixon used the words “occupied Palestine.”

“If you vote for this you are putting my child — and every Jewish child in the state at risk,” Fine said. “… If you vote for this you are an antisemite.”

Even House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell acknowledged that she had asked Nixon to withdraw her resolution from consideration during this week’s special session. In a remarkable scene ahead of the vote, most of the House members stood up and turned their backs on Nixon as she defended her resolution during her closing remarks.

“You can turn your backs on me because I am on the right side of history because I don’t want the babies to die,” said Nixon, who maintained that other Democrats asked her to drop the resolution because it would affect fundraising efforts by the party.

Nixon’s remarks came minutes after Rep. Michael Gottlieb (D-Davie), who is Jewish and chairs the Jewish Legislative Caucus, had said the resolution of his fellow Democrat was “born out of ignorance and antisemitism.”

“Caring about thousands of innocent lives does not make anyone antisemitic,” Nixon retorted.

Nixon, who was once a field organizer for a union, is usually aligned with the progressive wing of the party and in 2022 helped organize an impromptu protest on the House floor in opposition to a congressional map pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The protest shut down the House for roughly an hour.

The Democratic split is similar to the fight playing out on college campuses across the nation and in the halls of the U.S. Congress. Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, many universities have struggled to balance free speech with protests staged by students on both sides of the issue. In one notable incident, Columbia University in New York City closed down after hundreds of people gathered on campus to hold dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Jewish Democrats have responded forcefully to the progressive wing of the party over support for Israel, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. On Sunday the Florida Democrat put up a social media post chastising Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) over her defense of the Palestinian slogan “from the river to the sea.”

“This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period,” Wasserman Schultz stated. “Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that. Only a return of hostages, eliminating Hamas and liberating Gaza from oppressive terror will save civilian lives and secure the peace, justice and dignity you seek.”

The scene at the Florida Capitol came on day two of a special session that legislative leaders called to show solidarity with Israel and to expand sanctions against Iran, which is aligned with two militant groups, including Hamas. The House on Tuesday also passed a handful of bills aimed at providing at least a half a billion of new spending on hurricane recovery, grants to boost security at Jewish Day schools and to replenish a grant program that helps homeowners prepare for storms.

The spending bills garnered only brief discussion and debate on the House floor, as did a bill expanding sanctions, although that also drew three “no“ votes from Democrats.

Instead it was three resolutions — Nixon’s and two that expressed support of Israel — that generated emotionally charged motions as lawmakers talked about the Holocaust and recounted brutal details about the Hamas attacks. House Republicans also forced a recorded vote on all three resolutions, itself a departure from normal practice.

Fine, who notably flipped his endorsement in the presidential race to former President Donald Trump after complaining DeSantis had not done enough to combat antisemitism, sponsored a resolution that said Israel had a right to defend itself by “eliminating Hamas without ceasefire or pause.” Fine’s resolution also criticized a rise in “anti-Semitic rhetoric” on college campuses.

The final vote on Fine’s resolution was 103-3, with Nixon, Driskell and Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) voting no. Eskamani also voted in favor of Nixon’s resolution. A third resolution that expressed support for Israel was approved unanimously.

The decision by House Republicans to even consider Nixon’s resolution was notable, signaling that they may use it against Democrats in next year’s elections. Normally House leaders would not even schedule a floor vote on a measure that had wide opposition.

Florida is home to a sizable Jewish population, especially in Democratic strongholds in South Florida. DeSantis has made his support of Israel a notable plank of his presidential campaign platform and even tapped into an emergency relief fund to help transport Americans stranded in Israel back to Florida.

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) defended the decision to consider Nixon’s resolution, saying that Nixon had an opportunity to withdraw it but decided to press ahead. He said it was important to speak with “moral clarity” on support with Israel.

Renner also went out of his way to point out to reporters that a handful of Democrats did not vote on Nixon’s resolution even though they were not excused from Tuesday’s session. He handed a copy of the vote sheet with the names of the legislators circled to a member of the media.

“If they can’t take a stand on an issue like this, what can they stand on?” Renner said.

Driskell, who brushed aside the suggestion that Nixon’s resolution was antisemitic, said that while most Democrats stood opposed to Nixon’s resolution, she said “we will move on from this.”

The Florida Senate is not expected to have the same protracted debate over Israel and Hamas during its Wednesday floor session. That chamber is only planning on voting on a resolution that shows solidarity with Israel while also stating the nation has a right to exist and defend itself.