TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (JNS) — The public design contest for the “Florida Stands with Israel” specialty license plate, sponsored by the Israeli-American Council, has ended.
The winning concept is by local artist Daniel Ackerman, a graphic designer from Boca Raton, Fla.
Winning design by Daniel Ackerman, a graphic designer from Boca Raton, Fla.
More than 100 designs were submitted, ranging from school children’s concepts in crayon to highly technical designs of professional artists.
Ackerman explains his design: “The concept focuses on Florida’s state flower — the orange blossom.
“The beauty of this flower contrasted against the Star of David in the form of a tropical leaf, represents the Florida-Israel relationship and the fruit this partnership bears, ultimately benefiting both states.
“The symbol interacts with the two waves on top and bottom, giving nod to the Israeli flag, Florida’s sandy tourist destinations and Israel’s deserts in bloom.”
On Sept. 18, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1135, authorizing the creation of a “Florida Stands with Israel” specialty license plate.
The governor’s signing took place on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.
HB 1135 enjoyed bipartisan sponsorship and passed through both the Florida House and Senate unanimously.
The “Florida Stands with Israel” auto tag included in HB 1135 was originally submitted to the House in a separate bill co-sponsored by Florida House Minority Leader Kionne L. McGhee (D) and Rep. Scott Plakon (R).
The design of the specialty license plate was decided by a free 45-day contest open to submissions by the general public.
“The contest was coordinated by cosponsor organization Artists 4 Israel. The panel of judges consisted of the lead legislative sponsors of the bill — Sen. Aaron Bean, Sen. Lauren Book, Rep. J. W. Grant, Rep. Kionne McGhee and Rep. Scott Plakon — joined by Bal Harbour Mayor Gabe Groisman.
The design will be featured on a specialty license plate that will go into production once 3,000 pre-sale vouchers have been sold.
A portion of the revenue generated by sales of the new specialty license plate will benefit Hatzalah of Miami-Dade,which deploys community-based, state-certified volunteer paramedics to slash response times and increase survival rates in medical emergencies.
Israeli-American Council CEO Shoham Nicolet and IAC officer Shawn Evenhaim stated:
“The community came together to participate in this design contest, to celebrate the Florida-Israel relationship and to demonstrate their pride in their Israeli heritage. Thank you to everyone who contributed designs, and congratulations, Daniel Ackerman, on your winning design.
“The Florida-Israel relationship is a special one that ranges from trade to culture and contributes to quality of life for all Floridians.
“The two countries share many ties, including bilateral trade, common values and leadership in cutting edge fields.
“Florida has been a leader over the years in the fight against anti-Jewish hatred and discrimination, and we sincerely appreciate this meaningful expression of solidarity.”
More than 120,000 Israeli Americans call Florida home. This community is at the center of the Florida-Israel relationship and contributes heavily to the well being of the state through its economic productivity, innovation, philanthropy and focus on community care. The Florida-Israel relationship is non-partisan, with support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Florida has many key cooperative agreements with Israel. Gov. DeSantis recently signed an updated version of the 2013 Florida-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, which promotes collaborative research, development and commercialization of projects related to space development and life-science projects.
Florida’s exports to Israel since 1996 total over $4.5 billion. Exports in 2018 were $400 million.
Recent data shows that since the legislature’s passage of a 2016 law defending its businesses from anti-Israel commercial boycotts, trade with Israel has increased by over 30%.
Florida-based businesses, which are responsible for thousands of jobs, depend upon this commercial trade.
