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James Fischback, a former Florida gubernatorial candidate and controversial political figure, was forcibly removed from a Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday afternoon after protesting the county’s expanded investment in Israel-backed bonds.
“Do you serve the people of Hialeah or of Haifa? Do you serve the people of Aventura or of Tel Aviv? Do you serve the people of South Miami or of Jerusalem? This money should be invested here in this community. It should be invested in Miami-Dade County,” he added before officers escorted him from the room.
The confrontation comes after the county voted earlier this summer to raise its investment cap with Israel from 3% to 5% of its portfolio — a move that allows it invest upwards of about $400 million to $450 million. The change has drawn opposition from figures like Fischback critical of using public funds to invest in Israel as the war in Gaza continues to fuel political divisions in the U.S. It has also provided Fischback a platform to continue his opposition to U.S.-Israel ties.
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“What this is about, very simply, is whom do you serve?” Fischback said.
Fischback, a Republican, has garnered national attention for his views on race and has developed a reputation for confrontational public appearances.
Fischback was among the 11 GOP candidates seeking to replace outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis. He garnered 10.4% of the vote in the Aug. 18 primary but drew national attention for a series of inflammatory on-camera moments.
In one such case, he repeatedly called Rep. Byron Donalds, the frontrunner, eventual nominee and one of the only Black Republicans in Congress, a “slave” repeatedly at a news conference.
“Byron Donalds is a slave. I’m sorry, he’s a slave. He is a slave to his donors. He is a slave to the corporate interests, to the tech bros that want to turn our state into, in his own words, a financial capital,” Fischback said.
He would later shout a similar phrase at Donalds directly, catching Donalds on the way back to his car with a megaphone and a throng of supporters.
“You’re a DEI hire. You’re a slave. Go back to New York,” Fischback yelled.
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Fischback’s comments on Tuesday weren’t the only ones that expressed outrage over the portfolio change.
Other members of the public who expressed concern about the change voiced disappointment that the county would put public investment dollars behind Israel, given the politically charged atmosphere around the topic of its relations with the U.S.
Another woman who identified herself as Ivar Fandel walked to the podium wearing a “let Gaza live” shirt.
“Item 5B does exist in the context of a budget crisis as well as a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of Israel,” Fandel said, referring to the agenda item discussing the county’s change.
During his campaign, Fischback positioned himself as one of the only Republican candidates to decline contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He also pledged to divest from Israel-backed bonds.
“Florida has a specific policy. You’re not allowed to use taxpayer funds to buy foreign government bonds, with one exception: Israel. And so my premise is, first principles, we should not be lending taxpayer pensioner money to any foreign government,” Fischback said in an interview with the American Conservative.
He also blasted several candidates, including Donalds, for what he characterized as “singular allegiance” to Israel.
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“I think people like Randy Fine and other AIPAC politicians have a singular allegiance. And that allegiance is to the best interests of Israel. The idea of saying ‘I am running to represent a foreign country’s interest in the United States Congress’ is preposterous. They’re buying allegiance,” Fischback said in a post to X.
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Fischback did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
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