Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will travel to Jerusalem next month and speak at a museum event as Israel faces a spiraling domestic crisis, giving the potential 2024 presidential candidate a stage to tout his foreign policy credentials.

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The Jerusalem Post and Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem say DeSantis will deliver a keynote speech at an event that will address the tensions in Israel, a key US ally. The governor's office confirmed the travel plans, noting the visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of Israel's independence.

"At a time of unnecessarily strained relations between Jerusalem and Washington, Florida serves as a bridge between the American and Israeli people," DeSantis is quoted in a press release announcing his visit.

A controversial judicial overhaul plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked waves of unprecedented street protests in Israel. Netanyahu delayed the plans earlier this week, saying he wanted to "avoid civil war," and rival political factions agreed to begin negotiations.

Israeli media have reported that the US was withholding an invitation of a formal White House visit as a sign of displeasure with Netanyahu and his new far-right government. The US ambassador, Tom Nides, said in a radio interview that the White House would soon invite Netanyahu to visit.

The Jerusalem Post says the April 27 visit is "part of a larger Florida/Asian trade delegation." DeSantis says that as a congressman in 2017, he scouted out sites to relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to press the Trump administration to deliver on his promise.

DeSantis also traveled to Israel as governor in 2019 for a state visit and says relations between Florida and Israel have been growing stronger.

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The meeting came the day after Netanyahu failed to assemble a governing coalition, sending the country to another general election that is to be held on September 17.

"I think [Netanyahu] has been a really strong leader. He gave a great speech when I was in Congress to a joint session," DeSantis said after the meeting, according to a pool report arranged through the Florida Society of News Editors. "I told him after that speech I had so many constituents who said, 'Heck, why don't we elect Netanyahu here?' So, if it doesn't work out for him, I think he probably could get elected in the United States if he wanted to."

Earlier on Thursday, Israel's newly elected parliament dissolved itself. The move came just 50 days after Netanyahu seemed to have cruised to re-election. Netanyahu conceded that he had failed to build a coalition government and pushed through legislation for a do-over.

DeSantis said that while he met with some Israeli politicians, politics wasn't the nature of his four-day trade mission.

"It was kind of beyond the scope of the trip," DeSantis said.

After the meeting, DeSantis visited the Western Wall. He placed his own prayer in the wall asking God to keep Florida safe from hurricanes, as well as one from a Florida Panhandle girl who lost her home during Hurricane Michael.

DeSantis returns to Florida on Friday after a trade mission that included nearly 100 business leaders, elected officials and university officials. Several memorandums of understanding were signed with Israeli companies and universities.

The trip also included a meeting held by DeSantis and the state's three independently elected cabinet members, which the open government watchdog group First Amendment Foundation and several news outlets argued was a violation of Florida law because it wasn't accessible to Floridians.

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The majority of the international community considers Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria as illegal, and shuns, or even boycotts, Israeli institutions located there, such as Ariel University.

In appreciation, DeSantis received an Honorary Fellowship Award from the university. At the ceremony were philanthropists Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson, Ariel Mayor Eli Shaviro, and Ariel University President Yehuda Danon.

"I promised to be the most pro-Israel Governor in America and I sincerely thank Ariel University for presenting me the Honorary Fellowship Award," DeSantis said at the event. "This recognition means a lot and I am humbled to be the recipient. Let it be known that Florida will always stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East."

Dr. Miriam Adelson introduced DeSantis as "a true friend of the State of Israel" who supported the Trump administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights, and "understands that we as Israelis have the right on our holy land."

DeSantis told the audience: "We are now in the heart of the Holy Land of Israel. When you think about Israel's history and the tradition that connects Israel and the U.S., it's inspiring. On my last visit to Israel in 2014, the U.S. embassy was in Tel Aviv and we were on the verge of signing a destructive agreement with Iran, and I am happy that today we have achieved real progress. We have an American embassy in Jerusalem with an American acceptance of the sovereignty of the State of Israel on the Golan Heights and the agreement with Iran has been removed from the stage of history.

"I, personally, have fought Airbnb's discriminatory policy against Jewish-owned properties in Judea and Samaria, and only recently have they changed their discriminatory policy. I say here: BDS has no place in Florida.

"The memorandum of understanding signed today between the University of Ariel and Florida State University is a blessed agreement that will bring these two institutions forward. I am happy to say that Florida is a very diverse state, but not when it comes to its unequivocal support for the State of Israel," DeSantis added.

According to Ariel University President Yehuda Danon, "The signing of the memorandum of understanding with Florida State University is not only a symbolic event, but a milestone in establishing relations of friendship and closeness that will lead to the connection between two institutions for future cooperation and academic progress."

During his four-day trade mission to help boost the state's economy, DeSantis has also signed a memorandum of agreement between Space Florida and the Israel Space Agency. The agreement signed Monday includes projects the agencies will work on, including the launching of microsatellites. The Republican governor insists the Space Force should be headquartered in Florida.

DeSantis also signed agreements between Haifa University and Florida Atlantic University, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M and the University of North Florida.

DeSantis' delegation will continue to meet with Israeli business and academic leaders over the next few days. Some delegates will also take side trips focusing on issues in their fields.

The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom. Dr. Miriam Adelson is the publisher of Israel Hayom.

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The agenda DeSantis' office released ahead of the trip was vague on details, listing items like "business meetings" without saying who he planned to meet with and where. His delegation includes education officials, business leaders, lawmakers and the head of the state's tourism marketing agency. On Wednesday he will host a meeting with the independently elected cabinet, comprised of Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

DeSantis, a Republican who for six years served in the U.S. House of Representatives, has his name on a series of legislative initiatives in Congress aimed at protecting and strengthening Israel, the highlight of which was his relentless push to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Fried was already in the country Saturday for the third day of her own trade mission.

"My meetings are back to back with all type of advancements in agriculture and research," Fried said in a phone interview Saturday. "My brain is going a million miles per hour with ideas and suggestions to bring back to Florida."

So far she has met with Israeli experts on medical marijuana, irrigation, and treating algae blooms. She has also talked with researchers fighting citrus greening, a disease that's devastated orange growers in Florida. On Sunday, she plans to visit a company that works in advanced hydroponics, meet with Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and visit with cannabis growers.

On Wednesday, Fried will join DeSantis and the other two cabinet members for a meeting at the U.S. Embassy. The meeting had raised questions about whether it was violating Florida's open government laws because the public has a right to attend cabinet meetings.

DeSantis and the cabinet, however, don't plan to conduct state business at the meeting, but rather sign proclamations declaring their support for Israel. Reporters covering the governor's trip were told they will not be allowed to bring laptops or cell phones into the meeting because of security issues. It will be broadcast on The FLORIDA Channel, a state-funded news service that covers state government.

"My understanding is it's gone back to being ceremonial in nature," Fried said of the meeting. "A discussion on the Florida/Israeli relationship and I believe proclamations that are being presented. I believe that is it."

But she added that she hasn't had any briefings from the governor's office about the meeting agenda.

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