Democratic Candidate in Florida Special Election Has History of Anti-Israel Comments

Josh Weil, the Democratic candidate in the special election to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District in the US Congress, has a history of anti-Israel comments, potentially raising alarm bells among allies of the Jewish state in Florida.

Weil, a schoolteacher based in Orlando, was tapped by the Florida Democratic Party to compete in the special election to represent the district, whose congressional seat was vacated by Republican Mike Waltz after US President Donald Trump selected him to serve as White House national security adviser. Weil’s ascendance to the Democratic ticket has drawn fresh scrutiny toward his views on Israel. 

Weil has publicly condemned Israel and vowed to oppose efforts to provide the Jewish state with US aid if elected to Congress. In 2021, during a failed run for US Senate, Weil slammed “Israel’s state sanctioned violence against Palestinians.” He also called for then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to” immediately intervene to stop Jerusalem expulsions” and to “end US military aid to Israel.”

That same year, Weil accused Israel of committing a “war crime” for forcing “Palestinians from their homes to make room for Israeli settlers” in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. 

“There is no justification for this abhorrent assault on human rights,” he wrote. 

In 2021, the Sheikh Jarrah area of Jerusalem was embroiled in a battle between landlords, squatters, and delinquent renters from a number of houses with tenants whose leases had expired. The landlords engaged in a drawn-out legal battle to successfully evict the squatters and delinquent renters. Critics argued that the evictions were an example of anti-Arab discrimination and that Israel should force the landlords to keep the squatters and delinquent renters in place. 

In 2022, Weil posted on X/Twitter that Israelis “murder children in their homes.”

In February, Weil appeared on a YouTube show hosted by Jen Perelman, a staunch anti-Zionist. Perelman, a Florida native, has challenged Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) for her congressional seat, condemning the congresswoman for supporting the Jewish state and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Perelman has accused Israel of “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing,” and called for an end to all US aid to the Jewish state. 

Conversely, Weil’s Republican opponent, Florida state Sen. Randy Fine, who is Jewish, has positioned himself as a stalwart ally of Israel. Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, Fine, has spearheaded efforts to uproot antisemitism within the state of Florida. 

In August 2024, he chided Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for taking a trip to Ireland, repudiating the country as “antisemitic.”

That same month, Fine launched an investigation into alleged antisemitic and pro-terrorist ideology within instructional materials at Florida public universities. Fine suggested that activist professors were using textbooks that were indoctrinating students with anti-Israel sentiment. 

“When we learned that Florida universities were using a factually inaccurate, openly antisemitic textbook, we realized there was a problem that had to be addressed,” Fine said. 

The lawmaker has not shied away from controversy. Following the New Year’s Day ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Fine raised eyebrows by repudiating Islam as a “fundamentally broken and dangerous culture.”

“Muslim terror has attacked the United States — again. The blood is on the hands of those who refuse to acknowledge the worldwide #MuslimProblem. It is high time to deal with this fundamentally broken and dangerous culture,” Fine posted on X/Twitter. 

The race between Fine and Weil has drawn national interest, in part due to the Republicans only having a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives. According to reports, polls and early voting totals have shown that what was expected to be an easy victory for Fine is now a tight race.

Still, US President Donald Trump expressed support for Fine in a social media post over the weekend.

“America First Patriot Randy Fine is running to represent the Wonderful People of Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” he wrote. “A highly successful, Harvard educated businessman, and greatly respected State Legislator, Randy has been a tremendous Voice for MAGA.”

“In Congress, Randy will be an incredible fighter, who will work tirelessly with me to Strengthen our Economy, Lower Taxes, Secure the Border, Champion our Military/Vets, Ensure American Energy DOMINANCE, Protect our always under siege Second Amendment, and Advance PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump added.

The post Democratic Candidate in Florida Special Election Has History of Anti-Israel Comments first appeared on Algemeiner.com.