TAMPA -- Two Tampa Bay area counties are taking steps this week to show support for Israel.
Manatee County Commissioners plan to issue a proclamation Tuesday declaring "unwavering" support for the Jewish state, seven months after the deadly attack that began the Israel-Hamas War on October 7th. The proclamation includes a reminder that Israelis and Americans continue to be held hostage by Hamas under "horrific" conditions. Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee CEO Sheppard Englander says it's a "great comfort" that community leaders recognize how stressful life has been since the war began.
Commissioners decided to initiate the proclamation in the wake of recent protests on college campuses and elsewhere.
Englander says the federation is holding a commemoration of independence tonight at its campus on McIntosh Road in Sarasota. Speakers include the co-creator of a documentary on the October 7th massacre and one of the survivors.
The next day, Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Commission will hold a public hearing on an ordinance that would permit the county to invest funds in Israel bonds. Current rules don't allow for such investment, although state law allows local jurisdictions to make such investments.
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