Florida “Deactivates“ Students for Justice in Palestine Chapters Based on SJP “Support of Terrorism”
“To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is responding to the pro-Hamas insanity we’re seeing on college campuses by shutting down the student groups that are doing it.
To be clear, this is not cancel culture. No one would tolerate the KKK holding demonstrations on American college campuses, and this is no different.
FOX News reports:
DeSantis admin directs Florida universities to terminate student chapters that support ‘Hamas terrorism’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in coordination with the chancellor of the state’s university system, has moved to crack down on student groups in the state they say have expressed support for “Hamas terrorism,” which possibly involves terminating the student chapters and suspending school administrators.
“During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly,” Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, wrote in a letter to the state’s universities exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
“To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks.”
The letter states that a student group present in at least two universities in the Florida system, known as National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP), published a “toolkit” that refers to the Hamas operation as “the resistance” and says that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement.”
The letter explains that it is a “felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation AlAqsa Flood,” Rodrigues writes.
This is absolutely the right thing to do.
BREAKING: @RonDeSantis directs Florida universities to terminate student chapters that have expressed support for Hamas terrorism https://t.co/xOQn2Tzig0
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 24, 2023
NEW: Governor DeSantis just ordered the University of Florida and the University of South Florida to deactivate their "Students for Justice in Palestine" groups for violating Florida's laws against antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/Y3B6hLnRJZ
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 24, 2023
every red state governor should be doing this to public universities https://t.co/16LzNfCKJU
— Daniel Greenfield – "Hang Together or Separately" (@Sultanknish) October 24, 2023
We have been covering Students for Justice in Palestine for years.
2014: Vassar President condemns “racist, anti-Semitic graphic” posted by Students for Justice in Palestine
2015: Students for Justice in Palestine hijacks #MillionStudentMarch, blames Zionists for tuition problems
2023: Students for Justice in Palestine at University of Arizona Create Anti-Israel Display on Campus
Other governors should follow the example set by DeSantis here. I’ll leave you with this outstanding observation.
What COVID did for K-12, Hamas's attack on October 7 is doing for colleges and universities. People are finding out what's been happening in upper education, who has been teaching their children, how incredibly institutionalized it all is, etc. https://t.co/Xs2Qxh0GbH
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) October 24, 2023
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Comments
A great day in DeSantistan!
A balls-to-the-wall move! Liberal professors are melting down.
Excellent.
I have thought since the attack on Israel that groups connected to Gaza and Hamas should be shutdown over connections to terrorists.
There are enough laws sitting around to be repurposed for this.
Time to lawfare the heck out of these terrorist loving anti-civilization buffoons.
It’s a shame such a good Governor can’t run a good Presidential campaign – but every other governor in a red state should be taking notes. No excuses.
Now, how about a coalition of states coming to together calling for Students for Justice to be declared a terrorist organization. Also CAIR and the rest of them.
It can’t be. First of all, it isn’t foreign. There is no such thing as “designated domestic terrorist organization”. There is only a “designated foreign terrorist organization”, and the word “foreign” is that is crucial. So even if SJP and CAIR were actually engaging in terrorism they could not be “designated” or “declared” to be anything. Those engaging in terrorist acts could be prosecuted, as could all those conspiring with them, but there is no designation that the organization could be given. Even RICO would not do that.
Second, neither SJP nor CAIR engages in terrorism. They support and advocate terrorism, but that isn’t and can’t be a crime, because it’s protected speech. CAIR was long ago suspected of providing material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations, but it was never indicted, presumably because the evidence was deemed insufficient to convict it. But it was never even suspected of itself engaging in terrorism.
Connected how? Anyone who can be shown to have provided material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is arrested and prosecuted. But merely being “connected” isn’t and can’t be a crime.
Good call.
“No one would tolerate the KKK holding demonstrations on American college campuses, and this is no different.”
They would because the 1st Amendment says they have to.
He’s deactivating the organization because it’s providing aid and support to a terrorist organization. That’s not the same as forbidding them to speak, which I assume they will be stupid and brainwashed enough to continue to do.
From FL Stat 775.33:
(c) “Material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, or transportation. The term does not include medicine or religious materials.
Did the FL chapters of SJP do that?
None of us are privy to the details so I suppose we will just have to wait until the trial and allow a jury of 12 Citizens of Florida decide questions of fact.
If they had done so the FBI would already have arrested them.
There will be no Florida trial. Nobody has been arrested. They’ve merely delisted some student organizations. And that is unconstitutional.
They said they have, and they said they are to be treated as an arm of Hamas.
Agreed, as a matter of 1st Amendment rights they shouldn’t be shutdown (note: our foes do not respect the 1st amendment are happy to shut us down over false misinformation claims)
But they claim something else, and I am happy to take them at their word in this case.
They said they have provided Hamas with material support?! When did they ever say that?
Even if they had said it, that would not be an excuse to act against them. The government would need evidence of it. But in fact they haven’t said it. All they said was that they identify with Hamas, and that is their constitutional right.
DeSantis did what the Dems do and that is act first and ask for permission afterward.
DeSantis cites FS 775.33 as the law he is using as the foundation for this decision.
The law forbids “material support” to designated terrorist groups.
“Material support” is defined as:
“Material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, or transportation. The term does not include medicine or religious materials.”
The groups have done none of that. The Fox article says that according to DeSantis, the school organizations have “expressed support” – not provided “material support.”
The groups are wrong to support Hamas or any terrorists groups, but the law that is being invoked to shut their speech off does not meet the legal requirements to shut these groups down.
If people know of any “material support” the groups are offering, then arrest them and their leaders.
Alas, saying you support them is not “material support.”
Either we believe in free speech or we do not.
There is zero right to have a University affiliated organization that advocates for a terrorist group. The Students can still make whatever distasteful speech they wish but they are NOT entitled to use taxpayer funding or for their group to remain affiliated with the University.
The students can write all the letters to the editor, make FB or X posts, stand with a placard that they wish. DeSantis is not telling them they can’t do so as individuals or as a group which is not affiliated with the University.
The holders of Student Visa or Work Visa may run into future issues it they espouse terrorism or espouse support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas. That is, at present, grounds for revoking the Visa and their deportation. Unlikely that the Biden DoJ enforces it but one never knows for sure. Call this ‘unconstitutional’ till the cows come home but until you cite on point precedent specifically within these narrow facts and circumstances you are only offering opinion.
gitarcarver
Which Constitutional right of these Students was violated? They can still speak, write, post, publish. They can still gather together as a group to rally for Hamas.
There are limits to behavior on campus that can cause a group to be removed from official University affiliation. Don’t forget the University itself has, in narrow circumstances, its own freedom of association interests.
The only difference today from yesterday for these styrene group is lack of University affiliation and the funding that brings. So what you are actually PO about isn’t suppression or violation of ‘rights’ Constitutional or otherwise. What you are PO about is that taxpayers won’t be funding groups who claim to be part of the Hamas terrorist offensive. Get off your high horse.
You need a course in reading comprehension. “Material support… tangible or INTANGIBLE…training… expert advice..”
CommoChief – I am not conflating anything at all. DeSantis used a criminal statute that does not apply to what the groups are doing to shut down their speech. It is you who are trying to justify this abuse of power and violation of students’ rights.
AF_Chief_Master_Sgt – I am not happy when conservative speech is shut down. That’s is just a false allegation on your part in a desperate attempt to support a violation of peoples’ rights.
PrincetonAl – They can use speech to support whomever they want. Speech is not support under the law and therefore they should not be shut down. If you want to apply you point, that means that when a person “gender identifies” as a woman when they are a biological male, they are in a woman because “that is what they said.”
diver64 – Actually, *you* need a course in reading comprehension. The phrase “tangible or intangible” applies to the use of PROPERTY.
I understand. You against the Constitution and want to stiffle speech of any group or organization with which you disagree.
How very left wing of you.
None of which SJP has ever provided. If they had, they’d be in prison right now.
So, I guess you fully support the KKK, the NAZI Party, and other groups holding protests on campus and disrupting peaceful assembly of other groups.
Because let me tell you, that isn’t happening. Pro Israeli assembly is being shouted down and attacked on campus.
But I guess that’s OK with you.
Got it.
No need to say any more. Let the murderers begin.
Funny. I can’t find anything in the Constitution that says it’s a suicide pact.
Yes, I fully support the right of the KKK, the NAZI Party, and other groups to hold protests on campus, but I do not support disrupting peaceable assembly of any groups. It is their constitutional right to protest. If they don’t have that right then I don’t have that right. I am saddened that you don’t seem to understand the difference between speech and actions.
Another straw man argument from you.
Supporting the right of people to say what they want is not the same as supporting their ideas. Supporting their right to speak is not the same as supporting a “heckler’s veto.”
We get what you are saying. You support the government shutting down speech they do not like.
About This bit: “Material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, or transportation. The term does not include medicine or religious materials.”
I’m thinking that their claim of actually being a part of the Al Aqsa Flood operation, rather than merely supporting it, would qualify as providing personnel.
No, it does not qualify. No member of SJP has been “provided” to Hamas to do anything for it.
Didn’t the SCOTUS decide many years ago that screaming “Fire” in a theater was not free speech? Is not the verbal support for murderers and inciting hate against Jews the same thing? I believe you are trying to be the ultimate free speech advocate but you are missing the results of that free speech. If it leads to hate and revenge then it is not allowed along with the angry way they treated anyone who disagreed with their screed.
1. No, the Supreme Court has never “decided” that.
2. The case in which that analogy was used has been utterly and thoroughly repudiated, and is not law. It was a disgraceful decision that the court now rejects.
Do you know what that decision was about? Do you know what it was that Holmes shockingly compared to falsely shouting “fire” in a theater and causing a panic? It was protesting against the draft. So unless you think that the government can imprison people for doing that, you have no business invoking this discredited analogy. Protesting the draft is not like shouting “fire”, and neither is verbal support for murderers.
Oh, so you are a member of Antifa. You believe in banning “hate speech”. You think there is a “hate speech” exception to the first amendment. In that case what are you doing here? There is no such exception. “Hate speech” has the exact same protection as all other speech, and the moment that stops being so this will no longer be America and it will deserve to fall.
“To be clear, this is not cancel culture. No one would tolerate the KKK holding demonstrations on American college campuses, and this is no different.”
Aw. I was looking forward to having Milhouse explain to us how this violated the students’ constitutional rights, especially the ones on visas.
So students are only allowed to have opinions that are government approved?
Of course this is unConstitutional. Heck, even the Florida law that DeSantis cites doesn’t fit as the college groups are not providing “material support” to Hamas or any other terrorist organization.
As for allowing the KKK on campuses, according to the 1977 Skokie decision, that too would would be protected speech. In addition, courts and the Supreme Court has long held that the Constitution applies to people within the US.
Perhaps you can show where the First Amendment says anything about the freedom of speech only applying to US citizens.
If one truly loves the idea of “free speech,” then one has to realize that this is a horrible move by DeSantis.
The laws are already on the books which make actions in support of terrorism illegal. That’s distinct from mere speech. DeSantis is merely ensuring the laws on the books are enforced as is his duty as the Governor of Florida.
Goofy students and everyone else remain free to utter antisemitic speech and to say unflattering things about Israel or the USA. DeSantis actions are not about mere speech. The State has a compelling security interest in preventing terrorist activities. When someone goes beyond mere speech that compelling State interest takes precedence over some individual freedoms.
Do you have any evidence that the student groups offered “material support” to any terrorist group?
DeSantis did not state examples any such material support. If you have any evidence the groups offered material support, please show it. It should be easy to find.
Otherwise, this is an attack on free and protected political speech.
You seem to be conflating two distinct things.
1. Arresting folks for violating the statute about material support
2. Revoking University affiliation for these groups.
To my knowledge no one has been arrested so the first is moot for now. DeSantis did revoke the official University affiliation for these groups. A University also has rights as to who they do/do not choose to associate with.
The University can’t be compelled to do more than offer speaking opportunities. They don’t have to sponsor or charter any particular group including this one. The members of the group can still spew forth whatever vile speech they wish, just without official University affiliation.
No one is saying they don’t have freedom of speech. They can spout their bullshit elsewhere.
But you are OK with conservative speech being shut down, but K!jj the Jews is OK
They have made claims that suggest otherwise.
NSJP called on its groups to support the “resistance” against Israel.
“We as Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity
with this movement,” the group wrote. “This is a moment of mobilization for all Palestinians. We must act as part of this movement.”
“All of our efforts continue the work and resistance of Palestinians on the ground,” the group wrote.
That was the basis DeSantis used. He said they were welcome to disassociate from NSJP and come back to campus on a free speech basis as a separate group so long as they didn’t reiterate this claim or act in accordance with this claim.
They may not have specifically acted in a material support way but if they want to claim that they want they are trying to materially support Hamas and Operation Al Aqua Flood, which was this invasion and the specific claim made – then I am fine with what DeSantis did.
If someone says they want to be terrorists and are part of Hamas – not sympathizer but a part of the movement – I say believe them.
And act accordingly.
AF_Chief_Master_SGT, you are a fucking liar. Shame on you. Nobody here is OK with conservative speech being shut down, or so we thought. But you are OK with pro-terrorist speech being shut down, which necessarily means you must be OK with conservative speech being treated the same way. So next time a conservative is forcibly silenced, you should shut up. You will have no ground on which to object, because you have just cut that ground out from underneath you. Either we have freedom of speech or we don’t, and having it is what makes America special.
Princeton Al, “wanting” and “trying” to give material support is not the same as giving it. Wanting to commit mass murder is constitutionally protected; actually doing it will get you life in prison, or execution.
He’s misusing the law on the books to accomplish something politically popular.
No he’s not, as outlined above. NSJP made a broader claim to be a part of the operation and wanting people to as part of Hamas not as a sympathizer to Hamas.
If you tell me you are part of the Sinaloa cartel and want to distribute drugs on campus – I am fine with kicking you off campus. If you aren’t really a criminal but just claiming to be one, that’s kinda stupid – but I’m okay with kicking people confessing criminal intent off campus.
If you tell me you are sympathetic to people who smuggle drugs because they don’t have any other jobs, I am not gonna like your opinion but I will respect your right to free speech.
Opinions vary.
Did you miss the part where the chapters have stated they identify as being part of the “Al aqsa flood”? Which would make it rather self evident they believe in supporting a known terrorist operation. As for the statute cited. Turn your attention to this section, From the definitions
(c) “Material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service..”
The operative word is any. Distributing literature praising the attack on Israel, demonstrating on Hamas behalf in order to show and garner support for Hamas can certainly be viewed as a service.
Note that the statute listing types of support does not limit what is prohibited by the statute. Again the word “any” is what shows the intent of the statute.
The Skokie decisions was not about Supreme Court ruling the KKK had to be granted official recognition and allowed to from chapters on Universities. If the terrorist supporters want to hold a rally on campus after having satisfied relevant permitting requirements then banning them would be a free speech issue. Telling them they are no longer able to use the resources of the university to promulgate Hamas propaganda ,which has a very real probability of inciting violence against Jewish students, is not.
No, it can not. Because any such interpretation would render the statute unconstitutional.
Gee. I’m so shocked that Milhouse would be coming down n this side. So shocked.
Don’t worry, Milhouse will chime in correcting everyone and “teaching” us how brilliant he is.
This is not rocket science. It’s basic stuff. The first amendment means what it says, just like the second amendment. There is no “hate speech” exception, and that is exactly what you are advocating.
Generally available government benefits cannot be denied on the basis of the viewpoint someone expresses If those resources are available to anti-Hamas organizations (which they had better be) then they must be available to pro-Hamas ones as well.
It does violate their rights, and the stupid line you quoted should show you exactly how. You know very well that state colleges would tolerate the KKK holding demonstrations on their campuses, because they would have to, just as cities must tolerate the KKK holding demonstrations on their streets.
From the Orlando Sentinel fish wrap:
“Another group, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in a statement that DeSantis’ directive is “a dangerous — and unconstitutional — threat to free speech.””
Is FIRE heading in the same direction as the ACLU went?
Disbanding a group that was previously granted official recognition is not (I repeat, is not) the same thing as denying individual students their free speech rights. Nor is it denying free speech rights to have a permitting process for marches or protests or rallies. The content of such is not enough to secure a denial but public safety, logistics, proper venue would be. I am not 100% sure but I would think most schools have a big fat book of laws and rules that are to be followed when considering whether a group should be officially recognized. If a group blatantly disregards those then out they go.
Groups that are recognized as student organizations are offered support in the way of money from student dues. To “disband” groups denies them the funds other campus groups have simply on the basis of what the groups says or believes.
In “Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (2010)” the Supreme Court ruled that colleges that offer recognition (and therefore benefits) could not discriminate on the basis of what the group believes.
At the time, the decision was hailed as a victory for pro-life and Christian groups that were being denied institutional recognition.
It seems odd that people were happy when the decision was announced and are now want the decision and the Constitution to be ignored.
Please continue to bring up irrelevant cases like this.
How could be so wrong.
A state and a college cannot discriminate on the basis of a groups’ beliefs and citing the case law that says that is somehow “irrelevant.”
Can’t argue with that.
Don’t want to even try,
How is it irrelevant? It is exactly on point. Show us one distinction between that decision and this case.
It is getting difficult to reply through a rather insistent pop up ad. So forgive if I lose my train of thought. The ruling you cite is not relevant to what the governor did. They are not being disbanded because of their beliefs. They are being disbanded because they have stated they identify as being part of a known terrorist action. Suppose a university had given recognition to a group that believed Basque separatists had legit grievances and Basque should be it’s own country. That certainly would not merit them being disbanded. But what if following a massive terror attack by ETA the group declared they were part of ETA? What if they not only stated so but organized demonstrations, and distributed materials not only praising the attacks but blaming Spain and France for what happened? What if that blame extended to any student who had French or Spanish bloodlines? Has the group then gone beyond simply holding a belief?
That is a belief. Identifying with a cause is the very essence of expression, which is absolutely protected.
Not only “no”, but so obviously no that it’s impossible to accept that anyone would think it had. They are expressing a viewpoint. A terrible viewpoint, but they have the unbridled right to express it. How can you distinguish your hypothetical from neo-nazis marching in Skokie? Someone wearing a nazi uniform and sieging heil is identifying with the murderers of the six million. And they have the right to do so.
He did not discriminate Any group engaging in the same type of behavior would be subject to the same order.
What behavior? They didn’t do anything. They spoke. They expressed a vile opinion. Exactly like the nazis in Skokie.
The difference is that no government department was providing funds to enable the Nazis to march in Skokie.
Now apply the compelling State interest in security to the equation along with these group publicly announcement that they are ‘part of’ the terrorist operation. That’s not the same thing at all as proclaiming sympathy for or solidarity with terrorists. Maybe they should walk that back?
The problem for these Students is they got too eager, too mouthy and got over their skies in all their excitement to join in the terrorist cause. They effed up and admitted something they shouldn’t have….that they consider themselves part of an ongoing terrorist campaign. Speech is fine. Speech where you proclaim your group to be part of an ongoing terrorist operation is not mere speech. Its a confession.
In any event the difference tomorrow morning will be that their group won’t have official association with the University. They can still make all the speeches they wish. The Univ and the State itself also have freedom of association rights under very narrow circumstances such as these when a group announces/confesses to potential criminal activity.
Get off your high horse. You ain’t arguing about ‘free speech’ or anything other than the desire to force taxpayers to pay for those who advocate for Hamas as part of officially sanctioned Student groups.
Get off your sub-slug mode of transportation.
The law and the Constitution does not support what DeSantis is doing.
End of story.
Keep repeating that to yourself like a mantra if it helps you get through this time of confusion as consequences begin to appear for the first time on the horizon of your existence.
The Students who support Hamas (more accurately claim to be part of it) can still exercise their right to speak, publish, gather together and shout if they want, about whatever they want. No one is stopping them from doing so.
The ones on a Student Visa or Work Visa might want to tone it down though b/c Federal statutes authorize the AG to deport their ass if they espouse terrorism and terrorist organizations or seek to persuade others to do so.
Bottom line here is the taxpayers, the University and other Students don’t have to fund these groups who proclaim themselves to part of a terrorist offensive.
The “compelling state interest in security” must be applied in a viewpoint-neutral manner. It cannot treat opposition to Hamas differently from support for Hamas.
How can you say that when Hamas is recognized officially as a terrorist organization, while those opposing Hamas are not?
Troll
It’s an offens..e to fish everywhere to be associated with the Slantinel
That being said I’m all for the free exchange of speech in the marketplace of ideas.
But if the actions (beyond just speech) of a group, any group, are in violation of law, then the law should prevail.
Note that the students are free to join any other legally organized group.
No, FIRE has taken over the job the ACLU used to do and has abandoned. Standing up for the freedom of speech honestly and fearlessly.
Here is the thing. I can believe that life in Palestine is not ideal (let’s pretend not to know the reason why). I can support justice for the people of Palestine. I just cannot support Hamas. So if you are telling me that in order to support Palestine, I have to support Hamas; Are you also saying that Hamas is Palestine and Palestine is Hamas? If so, you have just lost my support for Palestine.
Paraphrasing Edward the Longshanks from “Braveheart”, the trouble with Palestine . . . is that it’s full of Palestinians.
The two areas they occupy could be and would be experiencing far better economic conditions and greater living standards if the people living there would fully renounce terrorism and violence, and work for actual peace.
For example, if the Gaza arabs had not destroyed the fully functional greenhouses the Israelis left in Gaza when they were forcibly removed in 2005.
Yes, that is what they’re telling you, and good. They don’t deserve support.
It is possible to support the “Palestinian” cause of destroying Israel and killing or expelling its entire Jewish population without supporting Hamas. Fatah does that. So does the PFLP and dozens of other terrorist groups.
It’s even possible to support that cause without supporting terrorism at all. One could support it but believe that it should only be achieved by lawful means, such as persuading the UN Security Council to send an army to do it, or not to interfere when Iran and the Arab nations surrounding Israel finish the job they started in 1948. One can believe that army should not murder, rape, and mutilate civilians, as the Arab armies did in 1948.
But SJP is saying they support Hamas, and the vast majority of “Palestinians”, even those that don’t support Hamas, support doing what it did.
Good call
He might be over-reaching on this one.
And this is the problem with free speech absolutism – even the most abhorrent speech must be tolerated. Even when it advocates for beheading babies or burning them alive.
Many of these groups on the college campuses here in Florida believe they can say anything and protest at any time for any reason and they can get away with it. I get your “First Amendment” but if these groups use my tax money to protest and not be in class then they are not entitled to do what they feel they can do. Also, the Florida statutes remain and thus the Board of Regents is allowed to stop these “students” and their “supporters” until a court blocks them.
As a Floridian Ron was slow in doing this until Rep. Fine (the only Jewish Republican who is a little nutty) switched his endorsement to Trump from DeSantis because Ron was too slow in his actions. In essence, Ron is all talk and no action according to Fine. I do believe that Ron’s campaign looked at the polls and he was hemorrhaging whatever support or goodwill he had from Jewish donors. Good to see the governor get involved but the bigger issue for many of us (DeSantis was my Congressman and we know him well) is when does he get his butt back to Tallahassee and stop neglecting us and do his job!
He’s sent 4 aircraft to Israel to to return stranded Americans. I’d call that more than no action, but that’s just me.
Have not all Muslim associations in universities come out essentially in support of Hamas? You know they all support Hamas against Israel.
In fact, Islam demands that if land once conquered for Allah is later lost then it is obligatory for Muslims to take it back for Allah.
Actually, Islam demands Muslims eventually force the entire world under Islam.
Muslim Student Associations on campuses are all a part of the Muslim Brotherhood, as is HAMAS (and CAIR).
Yes. But the constitution protects their right to be part of the Brotherhood, so long as they don’t give it any material support.
I’m still a fan of DeSantis.
Any other R Governors in the country doing anything?
His POTUS run fizzled fast, but I’d still like to see him as POTUS in 2028.
I am also still a fan of his. But on this occasion he’s wrong, and if this betrays a cavalier attitude to the constitution then that makes him… unfortunately no worse than most other contenders for the presidency.
That is also a federal felony, and one the FBI prosecutes zealously, so the Florida statute is redundant. Passing it was just virtue signalling. But the key word there is “material support”. SJP have not given Hamas any of that; if Desantis had any evidence they had, he’d pass it on to the FBI and they’d be arrested.
All they’ve given Hamas is moral support, and that is protected speech, for which a state entity cannot punish them.
The fact that the toolkit states that SJP is not merely in solidarity with the “resistance” but actually identifies with it doesn’t change that. Identifying with a designated foreign terrorist group is still protected speech.