Ohioans could have access to “I stand with Israel” license plates

For some time, Ohio has been notorious in the Midwest as a hotbed for anti-Zionism.

Now, a bipartisan coalition of legislators in the Ohio House of Representatives is taking action to reverse the trend. Thanks to a new bill, Ohio drivers may soon be able to fight back against accusations that they are concerned about the Israeli government’s systematic denials of Palestinians’ human rights. House Bill 397, introduced by Republican Andy Thompson and co sponsored by 18 other lawmakers, would allow Ohioans to apply for “I Stand With Israel” license plates.

The plates would cost applicants an additional $30, of which $20 would be donated to the emergency medical nonprofit United Hatzalah of Israel.

However, one of the bill’s cosponsors, Democrat Stephen Slesnick, explains that his support for the bill is based purely on a desire to pander to a politically monolithic Jewish community and symbolically legitimize support for Israel’s repeated violations of international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions 194 and 242.

“I support this bill because it’s a pro-Israel bill, and my job as a Jewish legislator is not only to represent my constituents but also to represent every single Jew in Ohio. I just want to make sure that I do what’s best for supporting Israel,” Slesnick said.

No date has been set for the vote. If House Bill 397 passes, it would make Ohio the second state to take a stand in favor of standing with Israel, after South Carolina, and would go a long way toward dispelling the pernicious perception that Ohio motor vehicle drivers do not stand with Israel at all. No designs for the plates or plans for other paraphernalia celebrating human rights violators have been announced.