JERUSALEM (JTA) — An open-government watchdog group and several news outlets have filed a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and members of his Cabinet over a meeting being held at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
The lawsuit says the meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon violates the state constitution and state open government laws that require Cabinet meetings be open and accessible to the public.
The meeting is to be livestreamed on The Florida Channel.
A state court in Tallahassee denied an emergency motion to stop the meeting, since DeSantis and the Cabinet members could not be served with a summons, according to Florida news reports.
DeSantis and a 90-person state trade delegation arrived in Israel on Sunday. At a reception the following day at the Herzliya residence of U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, the governor said holding a state Cabinet meeting in the Jerusalem embassy “is going to be a real neat thing.”
Also on Monday he visited Ariel University, becoming the first sitting state governor to visit the West Bank. During the visit DeSantis signed a memorandum of understanding between Ariel and Florida State University. Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, major donors to the university, were present during DeSantis’ visit.
DeSantis has signed agreements on working with Israel and Israeli companies in space technology, agriculture, protecting water and cybersecurity.
