Jay Collins helps organize Israel rescue operation: ‘Could just feel the gratefulness’
TAMPA, Fla. – Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, described the room’s atmosphere as American evacuees landed in Tampa from Israel Sunday, following the state’s rescue operation.
“We brought our people home,” Collins said. “You could just feel the gratefulness and the emotion of many of them coming off the plane.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Thursday that would allow the state to carry out rescue operations for Floridians stranded in Israel following Hamas’ attacks. The first rescue plane landed in Florida Sunday.
Collins, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and Purple Heart Amputee, told Florida’s Voice how he helped orchestrate connections between the state and Project Dynamo.
Project Dynamo says it conducts operations “where the U.S. government lacks access or a presence” to rescue “vulnerable populations.”
“As a Green Beret, this is my old arena,” Collins said. “I’ve known the Dynamo folks for quite a while to be able to connect them with the state and help kind of integrate them and deconflict that.”
The rescue operation helped 270 people, including 91 children, according to Collins.
“The fact that one, Dynamo goes out there, rallies people, puts themselves in harm’s way to rescue others, it’s amazing,” Collins explained.
He noted that it is also “amazing” that Florida decided fly people to the states at no cost to them. The Wall Street Journal reported that most major airlines halted operating flights to the country.
“We’re going to do what’s right,” Collins said. “There were several people that I spoke to that came off the plane who were like ‘look, our federal government failed us.”
Collins noted that the Biden administration was organizing a ship to send U.S. nationals to the island of Cyprus on Oct. 16.
The White House announced Saturday that the U.S. government would be arranging charter flights later this week to help evacuate Americans from Israel.
“They don’t know anybody,” Collins said. “Cyprus isn’t the bastion of security and safety. I mean, my goodness, could you imagine how horrifying that would be?”
The governor along with lawmakers and their families greeted those arriving off the plane Sunday.
