TAMPA, FL (352today.com) – Gov. Ron DeSantis stood on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport on Sunday evening, Oct. 15, to welcome more than 270 evacuees from Israel.
“We’re having our first flight of people being rescued from Israel,” said DeSantis in a Facebook post. “Over 260 people that wanted to get back to the United States and couldn’t do it. There was a devoid of leadership. So, we stepped up and led.”
Last week, DeSantis issued an emergency order authorizing the use of state resources to rescue Floridians stranded in Israel due to commercial flight cancellations.
Florida partnered with Project DYNAMO to transport more than 270 to Tampa and seven to Orlando on Sunday, including 91 children and two dogs.
The nonprofit organization’s website says they step in where the “U.S. government lacks access or a presence to rescue the most vulnerable populations, including hostages, unlawfully detained Americans, and victims of human trafficking.”
They dubbed this mission “Operation: Promised Land.” In a Facebook post, the organization said, “This is why Project DYNAMO exists; this is why we do what we do – to bring Americans home when they feel all hope is lost.”
The governor’s office says once in Tampa, evacuees were able to access resources from multiple state agencies. Additionally, they say the governor is sending medical supplies, hygiene products, clothing and children’s toys to Israel to help those impacted by the war with Hamas.
“I am proud of how quickly we have been able to activate resources and do what the federal government could not – get Floridians and other Americans back home, reunited with their families, free of charge,” DeSantis said in a news release.
“We have a dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the well-being of Americans caught in crisis situations all over the world,” said Bryan Stern, Project DYNAMO CEO and Founder. “It’s truly heart-wrenching to watch the destruction unfolding in Israel.”
According to the organization’s website, Stern is a 9/11 first responder and the team consists of intelligence and special operation veterans.
“Israel mourns its more than 1400 murdered and 150 hostages in the devastating unprovoked terror attack perpetrated by Hamas,” said Consul General of Israel to Florida, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky. “We have gone to war to eradicate Hamas and its allies and to uphold our values of freedom, humanity and the sanctity of life.”
If you or someone you know is a Florida citizen who is unable to leave Israel due to the current situation, visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management website to fill out a form to request evacuation assistance.
The governor says he has also urged all law enforcement resources to take steps to prevent violence at demonstrations and protect Jewish schools and synagogues. The governor says law enforcement in the state and Florida universities have a responsibility to protect the Jewish community from threats and unlawful harassment.
Meanwhile, DeSantis says the U.S. shouldn’t take in Palestinian refugees if they flee the Gaza Strip because they “are all antisemitic.”
He also dismissed international entreaties for Israel to provide clean running water and utilities to the 2.3 million civilians in the territory.
DeSantis’ comments were a striking departure from the public stand taken by U.S. officials, including some of his fellow Republicans, who draw distinctions between the aims of the Palestinian people and those of Hamas. The militant group has ruled Gaza since 2007 and launched an attack against Israel last weekend.
DeSantis suggested that not providing water or other services would persuade Hamas to release the hostages it has taken during its incursion.
“You have Israelis being held hostage, as well as Americans being held hostage, but I don’t think they are under an obligation to be providing water and these utilities while those hostages are being held. Hamas should return those hostages before any discussions are had,” DeSantis told CBS’s “Face The Nation on Sunday.
The United Nations, aid groups and Israeli human rights groups have implored Israel to allow water and emergency deliveries of fuel to flow into the Gaza Strip. Medics in the region are warning that thousands could die as hospitals run low on fuel and other basic supplies, and desperate Palestinians are trying to escape northern Gaza before a potential Israeli ground campaign.
The latest Israel-Hamas war has already claimed more than 3,600 lives.
DeSantis’ comments underscored how the Florida governor is embracing hard-right rhetoric as he tries to gain ground on former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner for the 2024 presidential nomination.
DeSantis first suggested the U.S. should not accept refugees from Gaza while speaking at a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday and argued that they “are all antisemitic.”
DeSantis defended his remarks during the TV interview. “The U.S. should not be absorbing any of those. I think the culture — so they elected Hamas, let’s just be clear about that. Not everyone’s a member of Hamas, most probably aren’t. But they did elect Hamas,” he said of people in Gaza.
He described what he said is “a toxic culture” in Gaza. “I think if we were to import large numbers of those to the United States, I think it would increase antisemitism in this country, and I think it would increase anti-Americanism in this country,” DeSantis said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.