MIAMI — Without discussion, Miami-Dade commissioners voted on Tuesday to raise the cap on Israel Bonds.
It came as some residents spoke out against raising the Israeli government bonds’ cap from 3% to 5%. Their microphones were cut and some were escorted away.
One speaker called them an “absolute disgrace,” while another called them a “bad investment.”
Commissioners said the cutoffs came because the matter had already been discussed in a committee meeting in July.
“I know that the item already passed, and I think there was a public opportunity to testify on this item,” Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez said.
After the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Miami-Dade the county will boost its investment in Israel Bonds.
In the years since, passionate debate has flourished about the regional conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives. By July 2025, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava posted statement on the platform X, writing, “The world united after October 7th to denounce evil and the pain Israelis endured. Now we must speak out against the horror of starvation in Gaza.”
Miami-Dade resident Rachel Prestipino, who was at the meeting and is against the county investing in Israel Bonds, said the commission “has the power at any moment to change their policy and say ‘no more,’ no more investment in Israel, no more investment in any foreign nation state.”
Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins said she thinks it’s “very, very important that we separate these issues.”
“I know they’re very emotionally charging, and for excellent reason, it affects people’s lives in the most intimate ways here in our community,” she said. “This is us investing money wisely, where the returns are great and the investments are safe. That is the narrow lane under which we were traveling today.”
Rodriguez said during the meeting, “When people talk about, ‘Oh, we don’t want to invest in any of these places,’ let me tell you this right now: we invest about $9 billion right now of of our taxpayer dollars in in our community. FRS, the Florida retirement system, is all completely invested. This is how we make money to make sure that we continue the operations of our community.”
A state law that took effect in 2025 allows local governments to invest in Israel Bonds regardless of their bond rating.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
