Palm Beach Post: DeSantis says Gillum comment ‘anti-Israel.’ Will it sway Jewish voters?

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, a Boca Raton attorney who chairs the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said the comments are unlikely to move Jewish voters — and Jewish voters are less likely to support DeSantis, backed by Trump in the primary.

“I think the reality is that this is the governor’s race, an office that doesn’t touch on foreign policy,” Klein said. “Most American Jews are concerned about our country and what’s going on. They’re concerned about anti-Semitism and the rise of white nationalism.”

A frequent criticism of Trump — and the candidates he backs — is that he has buoyed the white nationalist movement with anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Just days after the primary, a racist robo-call to Floridians — paid for by an anti-Semitic and white supremacist group — targeted Gillum. DeSantis’ campaign decried the robo-call.

But the overt racism early in the race is more likely to rally Jewish voters in Gillum’s favor than his comments on Israel are to deter them, Klein said.

“Jewish people generally understand that an attack on one minority is an attack on all minorities,” he said.

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