Five Reasons Gillum Is Dangerous For Israel
Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum has espoused troubling views on Israel and evidenced close associations with organizations that promote the boycott of the Jewish state and espouse anti-Israel rhetoric.
During the current race for governor, Gillum has attempted to position himself as an ally of the Jewish state. At a debate on Sunday night, Gillum exclaimed that “my relationship with Israel is beyond reproach” after opponent Ron DeSantis accused the Tallahassee mayor of taking positions against Israel.
Below, in no particular order, are five reasons Gillum is dangerous for Israel.
- Gillum called Donald Trump’s historic decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem “unnecessary” and a “provocation” that has “incited more violence.”
Gillum’s statements about the Jerusalem embassy move “inciting” violence feed into the anti-Israel narrative claiming that Hamas launched a series of deadly border riots in part because of Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy. An analysis by this reporter pointed to Hamas’s likely major motivations, including attempting to channel Gazans’ growing anger at Hamas over poor economic conditions toward Israel.
- Gillum accused Israel of using Gaza terror rockets to “justify” its “actions” against Palestinians. He further charged that Israel engaged in an “outsized response” against Palestinian threats and claimed alleged Israeli disproportionate “fire power” and “pushback” are the primary causes of regional instability.
- Gillum aided the Dream Defenders group that promotes the boycott of Israel and spews anti-Israel conspiracies.
The organization Dream Defenders previously organized a flash mob in Israel to officially endorse the extremist Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting the Jewish state.
Breitbart News has extensively reported on Gillum’s close personal and professional relationship with Dream Defenders. He has talked about aiding the group’s activism and written in strong support of Dream Defenders and its co-founder, Phillip Agnew. In turn, Agnew himself recently described a long and close working and personal relationship with Gillum and said he considers Gillum to be “part of the movement.”
Gillum and Dream Defenders’ Agnew are so familiar with each other that, while he was a city commissioner in Tallahassee, Gillum himself penned a glowing profile at the far-left Alternet publication promoting Agnew and the activist’s work founding Dream Defenders titled, “We need more Phillip Agnews.”
- Gillum’s Dream Defenders allies teach kids to glorify a deadly Palestinian terrorist organization.
Dream Defenders compiled an education tool for U.S. teachers that glorifies the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a deadly terrorist organization.
The project, which claims to be compatible with common core, pushes “rebellion” and educates students on the PFLP’s goal, which is posted on Dream Defenders stationary and quite literally calls for “the destruction of the Zionist state.”
The PFLP is designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization. As a secular Palestinian Marxist-Leninist terrorist group, the PFLP is responsible for scores of deadly suicide bombings, shooting attacks and airplane hijackings in which Israelis were murdered in cold blood.
The Dream Defenders education project in question, according to the Gillum-linked group’s literature, spotlights “revolutionary organizations” from around the world in an effort to “highlight their elements of rebellion.”
The lesson plan, reviewed by Breitbart News, says it “asks students to explore movements and organizations that led social change and display a coherent understanding of organizations and issues.”
“How are you creating the change you want to see in the world and the society we live in?” the curriculum asks. “What kind of leader do you want to be?”
- Gillum encouraged attendees at a CAIR-hosted conference promoting the boycott of Israel.
Gillum delivered an in person welcome and message of encouragement to attendees at an event organized by the controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) that boasted as one of its main two agenda items support for the extremist BDS movement targeting Israel.