Jason Delgado
A city nearly 470 miles south of Florida State University adopted a resolution Thursday calling for the resignation of the university’s Student Government Senate President.
“We’re not going to be silent,” said Aventura Vice Mayor Howard Weinberg. “We’re not going to be complicit when we’re dealing with this kind of hateful anti-Semitism, especially on the campus of one of our great state universities.”
The city’s resolution calls on FSU President John Thrasher to remove SGA Senate President Ahmad Daraldik from student government.
It also asks the university to condemn the Senate President’s string of anti-Semitic social media posts.
“The City Commission strongly urges the Florida State University President to demonstrate Florida State University’ s intolerance for such anti-Semitic social media posts by taking action, including the condemnation of the social media posts, and the removal of the Florida State University Senate President,” the resolution said.
Daraldik became the school’s SGA Senate President in June after his predecessor was removed for making transphobic comments. Weeks later, he too came under scrutiny when anti-Semitic remarks comparing Israel to Nazi Germany were unearthed.
Daraldik refused to resign and survived a subsequent no-confidence vote despite being the subject of both national and international headlines.
Weinberg, the resolution’s proposer, said his efforts will not stop with the resolution. He is also calling on neighboring cities in South Florida to join his call for action.
“I am on the board of directors of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities,” Weinberg said. “I’m going to ask that the membership of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, each member, each member city, consider adopting something similar at their own commission meeting.”
The resolution states that a copy of the resolution will be sent to FSU President Thrasher, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, the Board of County Commissioners, the Executive Director of the Florida League of Cities, and the Miami-Dade County League of Cities.
Weinberg also cited a Senate meeting presided over by Daraldik on Thursday as another issue on his list of grievances.
In his words, the exchange “confirmed his worst fears.”
While presiding over the meeting Thursday concerning the SGA’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism, Daraldik attempted to deny two state lawmakers, Rep. Richard Stark of Broward County and Rep. Emily Slosberg of Palm Beach, from speaking.
Both lawmakers, members of the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus, waited over three hours to speak before FSU SGA President Jonathan Levin joined the Zoom conference to intervene.
“It was a very, very difficult process for me to watch,” Weinberg said. “This student senate president wasn’t going to even allow them to speak, not even give them the courtesy to speak as state representatives. It was the most outrageous thing and most undemocratic thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Weinberg encouraged FSU senators and students from his city attending the university to remain steadfast.
“We support you,” Weinberg said. “We have your back.”
This is not the Aventura’s first resolution calling for social justice. This year, Weinberg said, the city has passed three resolutions.
The first resolution urged the Legislature to broaden the definition of hate crimes as a way to make them more easily prosecuted.
The second resolution expressed the city’s displeasure with any form of hate brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wasn’t going to be complicit and I’m very proud that neither was our mayor,” Weinberg said. “Neither was the rest of the Commission. We’re not going to be silent.”
