A Democratic state legislator from Jacksonville is breaking with the broad consensus among Florida politicos, and urging a ceasefire in Israel even as rockets from Gaza are strafing Israeli towns.
"I have much to say regarding what's happening in Gaza and the role leadership in our country and now our state is playing. I have to gather my thoughts but a formal statement is coming soon. However at a minimum. We need a ceasefire. Period. Palestinians and Israelis are dying," Rep. Angie Nixon posted to X Saturday morning.
Nixon, who represents the Democratic safe seat in House District 13, wasn't finished.
"To sit around and allow an entire people to be punished for the actions of very few (in numerical relation), is disgusting and wrong," the two-term state Representative added.
Nixon's position no doubt will brook controversy in Jacksonville, where a columnist for the local Jacksonville Today has noted she has struggled with rhetoric on this issue before.
"Two days after the attack, Nixon posted a statement on X referencing lives being 'lost on both sides." She also condemned 'unjust killings' without saying who was responsible for said killings. Then, after receiving pressure, Nixon deleted her original statement and penned a new post, which said, "I'm angered by how many Palestinians have been treated for years, but the terrorism from Hamas is wrong and should be condemned, period" along with a screenshot from a post from Amy Schumer," wrote conservative Andrew Moss this week.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has already made its mark on Jacksonville's local politics, where Palestinian-American Ron Salem, the President of the City Council, was the only member of the legislative panel to vote against a resolution supporting Israel from fellow Republican Nick Howland. Salem notably picked Howland to be chair of the Finance Committee, the most important panel on the Council, months before.
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