Israel

It's been well over a year since the family heard any news of Sagui Dekel-Chen, an Israeli-American who was wounded and taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Some artists hoping to lease their work to Florida cities for public exhibits are protesting a state law that requires government contractors to affirm they are not “engaged in a boycott of Israel.” The law has been on the books for years but is sparking concerns among some artists and advocates amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas.

Harris described the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as “an act of pure evil" and she planted a tree at the vice president's residence to honor the victims. Trump will speak before Jewish community leaders at one of his Florida resorts in the Miami suburb of Doral.

“We can best support the free exchange of ideas by maintaining civility and treating each other with respect,” Law said in an email to the USF community.

Two University of Florida students arrested earlier this year during pro-Palestinian protests on campus have accepted plea deals to misdemeanor criminal charges and will pay a small fine with no jail time.

Saying it opposes “any form of academic censorship,” the United Faculty of Florida on Monday objected to a directive issued this month by university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues about reviewing textbooks and other materials for “antisemitic material” or “anti-Israeli” bias.

In a letter to students, faculty and staff, USF President Rhea Law said the university "wlll not allow violent, disruptive or aggressive acts" on campus.

USF is among the universities instituting new rules, including banning encampments andlimiting the duration of demonstrations.

The reviews will be conducted after the fall semester begins.

USF is penalizing two students for their actions connected to pro-Palestinian rallies in April. The students say their punishments are disproportionate.

The man turned out to be a totally stridently pro-Israel, Messianic Jewish hip hop rapper from Florida’s East Coast. His group’s social media accounts include anti-Muslim memes and comments, according to an investigation by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications.

A Jewish community group thanks school leadership for addressing "antisemitic" activity on campus while pro-Palestinian protesting groups say the administration is failing to support its Palestinian students.