Jerusalem, Israel – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis hosted a roundtable discussion on school safety and security at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. Participants from Florida included Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz, Senator Wilton Simpson, Representative Chris Sprowls, Representative Randy Fine, Senator Lauren Book, Representative Joseph Geller and Enterprise Florida, Inc. President and CEO Jamal Sowell.

Israeli participants included Superintendent Lilian Sagas, Director of School Protection, Ido Moed, Director of Cybersecurity for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brigadier General Morris Chen, Director of Security and Licensing, Jordana Cutler, Head of Policy for Facebook – Israel, Uzi Shaya, a former Israeli Senior Intelligence Officer, as well as members of the Israeli State Police.

The discussion included briefings on a variety of subjects related to school safety, cybersecurity and social media mining to identify potential threats.

“Today’s roundtable discussion resulted in thoughtful discussion on determining new ways to avoid crises in our schools,” said Governor DeSantis. “With the growth of social media and a rise in mental health issues, it is imperative that we consider every possible avenue to increase security at our schools and to identify and respond to potential threats before they evolve.”

“As the mother of a student, school safety is something I think about often, and as Attorney General, I want to make sure we explore innovative strategies to increase security for all Florida students,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “Israeli schools are some of the most secure learning facilities in the world, and I am grateful for the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with Israeli officials in charge of keeping their students safe.”

“The failures that led to the tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School cannot be allowed to ever happen again,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “Discussions like the one we had today are important and it is vital that we use the information to take action and make sure our children are safe and feel safe in their schools.”

Photo Credit: Governor’s Press Office

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