Governor orders Capitol to be lit, flags at half-staff in honor of the dead in Israel

As darkness falls this week, the state Capitol will be lit in blue and white — Israel’s colors — throughout most of the week in solidarity with the Jewish nation-state.

The chaos and carnage that have engulfed the Holy Land following the weekend’s terrorist attacks prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to order the special lighting until sunrise on Friday in honor of those killed in the turmoil.

He also ordered all U.S. flags and state flags to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout Florida from sunrise to sunset on Friday.

Florida stands with Israel, said DeSantis, who has been on the presidential campaign trail pointing the finger at President Joe Biden’s policies. Biden “played nice” with Iran, a supporter of Hamas, DeSantis said. According to reports, he also accused the President of “sleeping on the job” as the country’s top ally in the Middle East was under attack.

But the Governor’s Office memorandum focused on those who have died in the turmoil.

“As of today, there have been at least 900 deaths, including many civilian women and children, and over 100 have been taken hostage,” the memorandum from the Governor’s Office reads. “This is a direct assault on the people of Israel and the Jewish community. We reinforce our commitment to Israel and our fight against anti-Israel sentiments.”

The memorandum also notes the violence struck on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which marks the conclusion of Sukkot, a weeklong harvest celebration.

Beyond lighting and flags, DeSantis outlined post to X what else U.S. leadership should do. He called for the United States to “freeze any money” made to Iran (a top sponsor of terrorist activity in the area), cut off all foreign aid flowing to Hamas and immediately shut down the U.S. southern border.

“These are incredibly dangerous times — but I have confidence that both the Israeli and American spirit can and will prevail over evil,” DeSantis wrote on X.

DeSantis called it the worst attack since the one that started the Yom Kippur War in 1973, beginning on Oct. 6 and spanning three weeks.

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Florida Politics writer Jesse Scheckner contributed to this report.