Ron DeSantis clarifies Israeli weapons story, says ‘philanthropists’ paid and El Al transported

The state of Florida didn’t exactly send weapons to Israel after all, Ron DeSantis clarified.

Instead, “philanthropists” footed the bill for them to be sent, and Florida merely facilitated the unique arms transfer via the country’s state airline, El Al.

“We had people in our state, private citizens who wanted to purchase and donate that type of equipment, ammunition and weapons and largely for the first responders who typically aren’t armed, but given (that) Hamas is attacking first responders, they felt that there was a need,” DeSantis said on Fox News’ “America Reports.”

“Now we did not make that transport, but we worked with El Al and (were) able to get that stuff over,” DeSantis added. “But that was not anything that Florida had. Those were all donated pieces of equipment where philanthropists purchased and you know, probably put a lot of money out for that. And then we helped engineer the transport, but we didn’t actually transport it ourselves.”

The clean-up comments come roughly a week after The Associated Press reported that “cargo planes with healthcare supplies, drones, body armor, and helmets” were shipped along with  “unspecified amounts of weapons and ammunition that were privately funded.”

Israeli Consul General Maor Elbaz-Starinsky said he was “never in communication (with the Governor’s Office) on any shipments of arms or ammunition” and that the “only thing that (he had) dealt with sending is medical supplies.”

At the time, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried condemned the move as overreach from the Republican Governor.

“The Florida Democratic Party unequivocally supports Israel’s right to self-defense, and American military support for those efforts must come from the U.S. Government — not a handshake deal between a wannabe president and undefined ‘private parties.’ Instead of meddling with military operations to score political points for his failing presidential campaign, Ron needs to stand down and let President Biden do his job,” Fried said in October.