Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s claim that he assisted third party groups and individuals deliver weapons, drones, and body armor to Israel is false according to the Miami-based Israeli consul general, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky. The aid was supposedly sent to the Jewish state to assist in the ongoing conflict with the terrorist group Hamas, which controls the neighboring Gaza territory. The governor’s office claimed they were acting upon a request made by Elbaz-Starinsky, who has denied such requests, stating: “We were never in communication on any shipments of arms or ammunition. The only thing that I have dealt with sending is medical supplies.”
The Israeli consul general is now saying that the Florida Governor was only asked to help ‘smooth paperwork’ involving a prearranged delivery of rifle parts requested by the Israeli government: “I am not aware and would find it very, very bizarre to think that somebody is procuring weapons and sending it to Israel.” Elbaz-Starinsky added, “This is not how we work. And certainly not privately funded.” This runs counter to claims by the DeSantis presidential campaign stating they “…sent cargo planes with drones, weapons, ammo, body armor, and helmets to Israel.”
The export of weapons or technology from the United States to foreign nations is tightly monitored and regulated by the federal government, specifically the Department of Commerce. In addition – depending upon sanctions status and other considerations – the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the President’s National Security Council may also have some degree of regulatory jurisdiction.
It remains unclear if DeSantis’s has cleared the alleged weapons transfers with any federal agencies – if the weapons are even real at all. During the White House press briefing John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council was asked about the situation.
“It is not illegal for the governor of a state to offer a measure of foreign assistance to another country,” Kirby said. “There are laws and regulations which govern how the export process is handled and that’s all done through Commerce. I couldn’t speak with authority today about whether the governor has checked all those boxes or not.”
DeSantis is currently battling former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for a distant 2nd place in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, tussling for neoconservative, pro-Israel donors.
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