Florida GOP Quake: Gubernatorial Candidate James Fishback Calls Wailing Wall "Stupid" and Vows to Divest from Israel

Republican gubernatorial hopeful James Fishback has ignited a political firestorm in Florida by launching a scathing attack on the state’s ties with Israel. Fishback sparked outrage after tweeting that he would refuse to visit Israel just to "kiss a stupid wall," referring to the Western Wall. He further pledged to divest $385 million from Israeli bonds on his first day in office, branding the U.S.-Israel alliance as "pathetic propaganda" and labeling AIPAC as a "foreign lobby."

Fishback’s populist surge—now polling at 23%—poses a significant challenge to the party’s pro-Israel establishment and the Trump-backed frontrunner, Byron Donalds. His rhetoric, which includes telling Jewish opponents to "go back to Israel," has been condemned by Jewish organizations as antisemitic. However, his rising popularity among undecided voters (40%) suggests a growing "America First" isolationist sentiment that prioritizes local jobs over traditional foreign alliances.