Speaking on “The Future of Judea and Samaria” at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Mindy McAlindon, a Republican state representative of Arkansas, emphasized the spiritual and moral bonds linking the United States and Israel. The conference was sponsored by American Friends of Judea & Samaria (AFJS) and the Jewish News Syndicate.
She described the U.S.-Israel relationship as founded not only on policy but on “faith, on trust and on friendship.” McAlindon said both nations share a belief that “light can overcome darkness and faith can outlast fear,” a conviction rooted in the Bible and tested over centuries.
The legislator was in Israel as part of an AFJS-sponsored delegation of lawmakers from five states. The group toured the country and met with Israelis during a roughly one-week trip.
She reflected on her delegation’s visit to biblical sites, calling it an “unforgettable journey through history” that made scripture come alive.
“We walked where the prophets and the kings lived. We retraced the stories of the scripture. We followed in the footsteps of Jesus and made history come alive in a way that no textbook ever could,” she told the audience.
McAlindon shared with JNS that seeing Shiloh was the most memorable part of the trip. “It was amazing to see the walls where the Temple stood. We visited so many other sites, and they’d say, ‘This could be, or this probably is,’ but when you got to Shiloh, that was it. You could see it from the measurements.”
She praised Israelis’ determination to defend their land, pointing to the courage of farmers, soldiers and families who continue to build and protect their homeland.
For Christians, McAlindon said Israel’s story is “isn’t foreign, it’s family. … This is this land where our faith took root,” and where “Abraham walked, David ruled, and Jesus lived, died and rose again.”
“It’s about recognizing old truths—the truth that these are not disputed territory. Judea and Samaria are the historical and spiritual heartland of the Jewish people. To call them anything else is to deny both history and heritage,” she told the audience.
She also spotlighted the recent law she introduced together with Arkansas Republican Sen. Jim Dotson, which passed in April. It obligates state government agencies to refer to the area commonly known as the “West Bank” as “Judea and Samaria.”
“When America stands with Israel, we are not just making a political statement. We are honoring a covenant,” she said.
While Arkansas has proven to be a standout state in terms of its pro-Israel support, McAlindon acknowledged to JNS she harbored “some concern” regarding the rest of the United States, given disturbing trends nationwide.
She noted that there is room to improve messaging, both by Israel and its supporters in America. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, have started speaking of an “eighth front,” referring to the need to fight the information war, she said.
On an optimistic note, McAlindon pointed out that state legislators across the country feel as she does. Laws opposing antisemitism have been passed in many states. She said the “Judea-Samaria Act” has already been filed in Florida and published as a model policy by the American Legislative Exchange Council and the National Association of Christian legislators.
“So I think as we are looking at trying to stop antisemitism and show support for Israel, that message is getting out through the state legislatures,” McAlindon said.
“You can’t legislate morality. You can’t change people’s hearts. But you can at least put laws in place that help set up guardrails,” she added.
