Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at the Christians United for Israel Summit, 17 July, 2023. Photo: Screenshot

Florida Governor and Republican presidential primary candidate Ron DeSantis had harsh words for President Biden’s handling of the US-Israel relationship at the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) annual summit in Arlington, Virginia on Monday.

“I think we’re in dire need of repairing the US-Israel relationship,” DeSantis said. “What this Biden administration has done has been disgraceful. The way they treat a strong ally like [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has been disgraceful. What they’re trying to do to shoehorn Israel into bad policies has been disgraceful. You have different things that go on in Israel, like this judicial reform. Biden needs to butt out of that and let Israel govern itself.”

Biden — who on Monday extended an invitation to Netanyahu to pay an official visit to the US —  has been an outspoken critic of the current Israeli government’s judicial reform measures, which have sparked months of mass protests. In March, Biden said that Israel “cannot continue down this road,” prompting a backlash from the Israeli right. Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli in an interview with an Israeli radio station on Tuesday went so far as to accuse the Biden administration of coordinating with Israeli opposition leaders to foment protests, a charge that the State Department told The Algemeiner was “absolutely not true.”

DeSantis also criticized the Biden administration’s position on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We also have to reject the Biden’s administration’s attempt to force a ‘two-state solution with pre-1967 borders,’” he said. “First of all, those borders are indefensible. They want to carve up Jerusalem and all that. But here’s the thing: You can’t do peace with people that don’t believe you have a right to exist as a Jewish state.”

DeSantis, who is struggling in the Republican primary behind former President Donald Trump, touted his pro-Israel record in Congress and as governor of Florida and laid out his proposals for Israel and the Middle East in a future presidential administration, including a tougher stance against Iran.

Negotiations between the US and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear program have raised concerns in Israel and in Congress that the Biden administration might seek an informal “understanding” between the two countries short of a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu has said that Israel would not be bound by any such deal, while the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul (R-TX) has called the negotiations “reckless” and said that even an informal deal would require Congressional review.

“Biden is appeasing the Iranians,” DeSantis said. “He’s giving them a free pass. Iran oil sales are now at a five year high. And Iran is the number one backer of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden is actually funding both sides of the conflict by empowering the Iranians.”

DeSantis also said that if elected he would cut off US funding to UN entities that are “targeting” Israel, and specifically cited the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Biden Administration rejoined both of those UN organizations after the US had withdrawn during the Trump administration over their positions on Israel.

Domestically, DeSantis announced that Florida was now investigating Chicago-based investment manager Morningstar, Inc. after the entry into effect of a state law prohibiting financial firms from considering certain environmental, social and governmental (ESG) factors. Morningstar has been accused of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel after one of its subsidiaries, Sustainalytics, put companies doing business in Israel on an ESG watchlist. Morningstar denies it supports the BDS movement and recently removed more than 100 negative ESG ratings from Israel-linked companies.

CUFI, which is led by Evangelical pastor John Hagee and bills itself as the nation’s largest pro-Israel group, will also hear from former Vice President Mike Pence and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, both of whom are also seeking the Republican nomination. News outlet The Messenger reported on Friday that  Trump was not invited to attend this year’s conference.