PALM BEACH, FLORIDA (VINnews/Bryan E. Leib) – A video circulating this week shows Florida Republican Gubernatorial Candidate James Fishback mocking the idea of kissing the Kotel, referring to it as a “stupid wall.” That wall is not a prop, not a punchline, and not a political stage set. It is the holiest accessible site in Judaism, a place of prayer and tears and history for millions of Jews around the world. Reducing it to a cheap joke is not edgy. It is ignorant and offensive. And it should be immediately disqualifying for anyone seeking to lead in a state with one of the largest and most vibrant Jewish communities in America but let’s be honest, Fishback knows what he’s doing.

Florida Republicans should be crystal clear about this. Respect for faith, tradition, and America’s allies is not optional. It is foundational. When a candidate for high office signals open contempt toward a core Jewish religious symbol, that is not bold truth telling. That is reckless provocation masquerading as courage.

We have seen this playbook before. Fishback appears to be chasing the same outrage driven attention model perfected by Tucker Carlson and amplified by fringe figures like Nick Fuentes. Stir controversy. Target Jews or Israel adjacent issues. Play footsie with antisemitic coded rhetoric. Then cry foul when called out. It is a tired formula and it has done real damage to the conservative movement.

Republicans should not want a bargain basement version of that brand of politics leading anything, let alone a state as important as Florida. The GOP here has built a winning coalition that includes strong support for Israel, deep ties to the Jewish community, and a moral clarity about antisemitism. Why would anyone want to torch that for clicks and fringe applause?

My dear friend Leo Terrell has spoken out, and he is right to do so. Moral lines matter. Silence in moments like this is not neutrality. It is permission. Every Republican leader, activist, donor, and voter in Florida should be willing to say plainly that mocking the Kotel and what it represents crosses a line.

This is not about policing humor or speech. It is about recognizing Jew Hatred when you see it. The Kotel represents survival, continuity, and faith through exile, persecution, and genocide. Dismissing it with crude language is not a policy position. It is a character reveal. Tucker must be very proud of Fishback.

Fishback has no place running for governor, let alone for dog catcher. Leadership requires judgment, restraint, and respect for the people you seek to represent. His performative outrage and shock jock style politics belong on the far edges of the internet, not on a statewide ballot.

The Florida Republican Party should act like a party that knows who it is and what it stands for. That means drawing a bright line against antisemitic rhetoric, against cheap shots at sacred traditions, and against candidates who try to climb the ladder by trampling on the values of others.

My fellow Floridians – find your moral compass. Speak out now. The future of the party is worth more than one candidate’s desperate attempt at viral fame.

Bryan E. Leib is the CEO of Henry Public Relations and he is a Newsmax TV Contributor.