Supporters and opponents of Palm Beach County's Israeli bonds investment policy clashed during a heated County Commission meeting Tuesday that ended with six people being removed from the chamber.
The Sheriff's Office stationed deputies both inside and outside the chamber room as tensions escalated between the two sides. Just last month, on Sept. 15, a county budget hearing was also disrupted by people voicing opposition to county Israeli bond purchases.
County Mayor Sara Baxter said the commission does not control the decision to invest in Israeli bonds. She noted the county clerk and comptroller oversees investment decisions, although commission approval is required when investments exceed certain limits.
Palm Beach County is the largest public-sector
investor in Israeli bonds.
County Administrator Joe Abruzzo, who previously served as county clerk, has defended the more than $1 billion investment, arguing it is fiscally sound and generates higher returns than Treasury bills.
Opponents, many of whom identified themselves only by their first names, argued the investments help finance what they described as genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. One speaker called Israel an apartheid state and said the county's approval of the bond investments makes commissioners complicit.
Supporters defend bonds as financially sound
Supporters defended the investments as vital to Israel's security and survival. One speaker, describing Israel as America's closest ally, condemned the hostility that dominated the meeting and said the anger and hatred on display were unacceptable.
As emotions flared, supporters and opponents exchanged profanities, prompting sheriff's deputies to escort several people from the room.
Mike Diamond is a journalist atThe Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Israel bonds protest sees six removed from County Commission chamber
