Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott denounced rising anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents during his address at the Jerusalem Post Washington Conference on Wednesday. Scott urged political leaders across the spectrum to consistently condemn antisemitism and bolster pro-Israel policies in Congress.
Scott argued that “anti-Israel voice is not the voice of America,” referring to a sharp increase in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S. since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israeli communities.
“The normal person does not believe in hatred,” Scott stated. He emphasized that hatred, including antisemitism, should have no place in American society. “If you are in a leadership position, you must be clear that hatred and antisemitism in any form is wrong, and you must call it out every single time,” he added.
The senator called on supporters of Israel in the U.S. to prioritize preserving bipartisan backing for the nation within Washington’s political landscape. “Everybody should know their senators and their House members. That matters,” Scott stressed, underscoring the importance of continuous engagement with lawmakers.
Scott highlighted that Israel remains America’s most important ally in the Middle East, noting shared democratic values between the two nations. He warned: “They are not asking us to put our men and women at risk. But if we do not fight for freedom and democracy around the world, it will be a very lonely place.”
Unlike other U.S. allies such as Japan, South Korea, and European nations, Israel has never requested military assistance from Washington, instead defending itself independently. The senator concluded his remarks by cautioning that autocratic regimes in China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela seek to undermine the American way of life—whether in Israel or the United States.
Additionally, last month President Donald Trump announced his decision to authorize the sale of advanced fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. During a media briefing, Trump stated: “I am planning on doing it. They want to buy them, they’ve been a great ally.” He confirmed: “Yeah, I will say that we will be doing that, we will be selling F-35s.”
Some analysts in Israel and the United States have expressed concerns that this sale could potentially erode Israel’s military qualitative edge in the Middle East. The F-35 fighter jet has played a critical role in Israel’s aerial superiority against Iran and other adversaries. Even if Saudi Arabia receives the F-35 jets soon, it will take time to train pilots on the advanced aircraft. In contrast, the Israeli Air Force has operated F-35s since 2016 and has accumulated invaluable real-time battle experience over the past two years. Additionally, Israeli F-35s are considered more advanced than standard models due to cutting-edge technologies developed within Israel.
Saudi Arabia currently lacks official diplomatic relations with Israel but played a central role in facilitating the historic Abraham Accords of 2020, which brought together Israel with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The kingdom has also signaled its willingness to pursue normalized relations with Israel in the future.
