In a symbolic vote this week, Florida’s state cabinet passed a resolution acknowledging that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, whose office last year promised an increase in Florida’s holdings of bonds from the Jewish state, proposed the resolution to make a statement that “the interests of Israel are the interests of Florida,” and to respond to the backlash over U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last year to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“While our nation has been criticized, we’ve made it clear that we remain close with our allies in the Middle East,” he said.
The move came along with Florida instituting sanctions against Airbnb because of the company’s decision last year to boycott Judea and Samaria.
Nearly 650,000 Jews reside in the Sunshine State—the majority in Southeast Florida—representing about 3.4 percent of the state’s population and growing.
