A political storm has erupted in Florida and across social media surrounding James Fishback, a Republican candidate for governor, after he made sharp remarks Thursday against the Western Wall – one of the holiest sites for the Jewish people – statements that drew condemnations from officials and furious responses from the American Jewish community.
The controversy exploded following a speech Fishback delivered on Thursday at the University of Central Florida, in which he declared that if elected, he has no intention of traveling to Israel. "I will not visit the State of Israel," he told the audience, adding, "I would rather travel to Brazil and other countries to bring jobs to Florida, and not visit countries just to kiss a stupid wall." His remarks were met with applause from some attendees, and footage of the event sparked outrage after it circulated on social media.
Among the first to condemn the statement was Leo Terrell, chairman of the Justice Department's antisemitism task force, who wrote that "James Fishback just made my blood boil," emphasizing that "if he called the most sacred site for Muslims, Christians," it would have immediately triggered a storm. The organization StopAntisemitism also declared it was "disgusted by the desecration of the Western Wall," arguing this was deliberate rhetoric designed to please extremist audiences.
James Fishback just made my blood boil. This should make your blood boil too.
He said he would not kiss a "stupid wall" in relation to the Kotel, the holiest site to the Jewish people.
Imagine if he called the most sacred site for Muslims, Christians or literally any other… https://t.co/F7wTc6a7lr
— Leo Terrell (@LeoTerrellDOJ) February 6, 2026
However, the Western Wall controversy is not an isolated incident. In recent months, Fishback has published a long series of anti-Israel tweets and statements. Among other things, he accused the state of Florida of "sending $385 million of our money to Israel," and declared that on his first day in office, he would order the withdrawal of all state investments from Israeli bonds. In one tweet, he called the claim that criticism of Israel is antisemitic and that Israel is America's greatest ally a "scam" and "cringe and pathetic propaganda."
In additional tweets, Fishback directly attacked pro-Israel Republican politicians in Florida. For example, he called Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins "Israel First," in contrast to the Republican agenda of "America First," and told Randy Fine, a Jewish member of the Florida House of Representatives, to "go back to Israel." He claimed that the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC is a "foreign lobby."
I'll be the first to admit that I fell for the "Israel is our greatest ally" scam and the lie that criticizing Israel is "antisemitic."
It wasn't until I was offered a paid trip to Israel this summer (which I never took) that I realized how cringe and pathetic the propaganda…
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) December 16, 2025
Fishback, a former investor and hedge fund manager, entered the gubernatorial race in 2025 and is attempting to position himself as a populist alternative to the traditional Republican leadership in the state, led by Congressman Byron Donalds, who is backed by President Donald Trump, and outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis (who is not running due to term limits), who is identified with a distinctly pro-Israel line from which Fishback deviates.
Although most polls conducted so far show Fishback still languishing in single digits, a poll conducted in late January focusing on two major candidates, Donalds and Fishback, shows the former leading the anti-Israel candidate by only about 14%, 37% compared to 23% for Fishback, with 40% not knowing whom they will choose.
In Florida, a state where the Jewish community is among the largest and most influential in the United States, these statements could transform from a media gimmick into a central political issue in the Republican primaries, and mark another point in the disturbing trend of anti-Israel discourse even within the party that has been considered for years the main anchor of support for it.
