DeSantis will head to Israel as he bolsters foreign policy chops ahead of 2024

Governor Ron DeSantis is scheduled to visit Israel next month and deliver the keynote speech at Celebrate the Faces of Israel event as part of his continuing efforts to strengthen his foreign policy background.

Ron DeSantis promised to become “the most pro-Israel governor in America” at the beginning of his tenure and has even visited Israel previously. The April 27 visit has been announced by the organizing companies, the Jerusalem Post and Benjamin Netanyahu Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem.

During his tenure as Governor, Ron DeSantis has supported Israel by promoting increased investment from Israeli companies in Florida, fighting against the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, and watching Florida’s Jewish population grow at an accelerated pace.

Over 400 individuals, including 120 US-based Jewish investors, are expected to attend the event where Governor DeSantis will speak. Additionally, he was a strong supporter of President Trump’s decision of moving the United States Embassy to Jerusalem.

Governor DeSantis has also openly opposed businesses that participate in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement actions aimed at Israel in response to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

Currently, Israel is experiencing massive protests due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to reform the judiciary, by requesting that the Knesset be authorized to overrule Supreme Court rulings, which some see as a threat to Israel’s democracy. Israel halted its plans due to international backlash, including mass demonstrations.

Governor DeSantis met with Michael Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States, and Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the consul general of Israel in Miami, late last year.

Governor DeSantis’s trip to Israel will come after his visit to several states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Hampshire, as the public speculates about his possible 2024 plans.

With his eyes potentially set on a future presidential run, Governor DeSantis is venturing into foreign policy issues. Earlier, in light of ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which he described as a “territorial fight”, he generated mixed reactions from the public, but later clarified that he considered Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and he was against the invasion.

Governor DeSantis is among the top contenders in hypothetical GOP matchups for 2024 as per recent polls. He has suggested that he may launch his campaign after the end of the Florida state legislature’s session in May.