Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani one of only two Florida lawmakers to support ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war

Orlando state representative Anna Eskamani of the Florida House was one of just two Florida lawmakers on Tuesday to oppose expanding sanctions against Iran and to support a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, amid reports of over 10,000 dead in Gaza, including 4,100 children, since Oct. 7.

State Rep. Angie Nixon, a Democrat from Jacksonville, sponsored the resolution (HR 31C), which called for “an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine, supporting protection of constitutional rights of Floridians, and advocating for dignity and safety of residents in every community.”

Nixon’s resolution was introduced as part of a special legislative session that began Monday. Reps. Nixon and Eskamani were the only two state lawmakers — Democrat or Republican — to support it, with 104 lawmakers opposed.

A dozen lawmakers, including 10 Democrats, didn’t even show up for the vote. Local Rep. Carolina Amesty, a Republican, was reportedly too busy arguing in court that the $1.6 million residence owned by her family’s private university should be exempt from property taxes, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

On the House floor, state Republicans accused Nixon, a progressive, of being anti-semitic for calling for an end to violence.

Rep. Randy Fine, a far-right Republican Jew in the state legislature, accused Nixon and Eskamani of being “evil,” which earned a strong response from the Jacksonville progressive.

“Both the Palestinian and Israeli people deserve to live their lives and raise their families in peace. I support a federal strategy that severely reduces the current loss of innocent civilian life that will lead to long-term solutions for peace in the region,” said Nixon, in a statement released Wednesday morning. “And to my colleagues unable to remain composed today: name-calling and false accusations in the chamber won’t save lives. It also won’t stop me from fighting for all people.”

Nixon, a mother of a 3-year-old child, wept on the House floor as she recalled the deaths of Palestinian children in defense of her resolution.

“Shame on you,” Nixon added in her statement Wednesday, referring to critics of her resolution. “Redirect that fury away from combating the humanization of people suffering into something more constructive. ”

Other Democrats in the Florida House abandoned and turned their backs on Nixon and Eskamani at best, while some outright condemned Nixon’s resolution.

Rep. Hillary Cassel, a Democrat from Broward County who said she converted to Judaism, said Hamas wants to “annihilate” Jews and that, in response to Hamas’ attack, “we are fighting back.”

Rep. Mike Gottlieb, another Democrat who described himself as “99.9% Ashkenazi Jew,” said, “There was an opportunity to not have to deal with this today, and the responsibility for having to deal with this today falls on the shoulders of one person: the person who filed this bill.”

Nixon stood her ground, even as Democrats and Republicans reportedly faced away from her. “Many of my colleagues have stated that folks are fearful of another massacre occurring to the Jewish people. Well, guess what? A massacre is occurring now. Entire bloodlines of Palestinians have been wiped away. They are gone.”

After the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israel cut off water, food, and electricity to the more than 2.3 million residents of Gaza, half of whom are children, and launched air strikes that have killed thousands.

Rep. Eskamani, of Orlando, acknowledged in a statement that the conflict has caused significant pain for both Israelis and Palestinians. “My heart aches for the people of Israel,” she stated. “My heart also aches for the innocent people of Gaza and the West Bank, particularly for children who have been killed and/or displaced by this war.”

Eskamani explained that while she didn’t agree with every word of Nixon’s resolution, and believed it “misses important points regarding the horrors of Hamas … my values compel me to side with peace.”

The resolution also opposed the “criminalization of Floridians’ rights to speak out against and protest human rights violations.”

People in cities like Orlando and Tampa, and across the world, have staged large-scale protests in support of Palestinians and against further bloodshed from Israel, which launched brutal attacks on Gaza after the militant group Hamas bombed Israel, killing 1,400 Israelis, on Oct. 7. It’s the latest development in a conflict between Hamas and Israel that spans decades.

Nixon filed the ceasefire resolution on Monday for consideration after releasing a statement in late October similarly supporting immediate de-escalation and a ceasefire, as well as increased humanitarian aid “to alleviate as much human suffering as possible.”

A federal call for a ceasefire, spearheaded by Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in U.S. Congress, has faced similar controvery. Twenty-two Democrats, including Central Florida Congressman Darren Soto, joined Republicans on Tuesday in censuring Tlaib over her outspoken criticism of Israel.

In a floor speech ahead of Tuesday’s vote to censor her, Tlaib said that while she’s critical of the Israeli government, “There are millions of people across our country who oppose [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s extremism and are done watching our government support collective punishment and the use of white phosphorous bombs that melt flesh to the bone.”

“I hear the voices of advocates in Israel, in Palestine, across America, and around the world for peace. I am inspired by the courageous survivors in Israel who have lost loved ones, yet are calling for a ceasefire and the end to violence,” she added. “I am grateful to the people in the streets, for the peace movement, with countless Jewish Americans across the country, standing up and lovingly saying “Not in Our Name.”

Before the debate about Florida Rep. Nixon’s proposal in Tallahassee, the Republican-dominated Florida House on Tuesday passed two other resolutions supporting Israel.

One bill, at the request of Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, would tighten state sanctions against Iran. Again, only Nixon and Eskamani, the first Iranian-American elected to public office in Florida, opposed it.

Another bill approved Tuesday would provide money to boost security at Jewish day schools and preschools. Gov. DeSantis called for the special session in late October to enhance state sanctions on Iran.

Despite most Florida House Democrats this week joining Republicans in supporting legislation largely concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict, Democrats sang a different tune ahead of session. Early Monday, the Florida Democratic Party slammed DeSantis, framing the special session as a stunt meant to score him political points in his run for U.S. president. Republicans on Monday rejected attempts by a handful of Democrats, including Eskamani, to consider bills addressing issues like affordable housing and mass Medicaid disenrollment in addition to pro-Israel legislation.

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This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2023.