A top-level delegation from the Yesha Council, representing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, was in Washington, D.C., this week as invited guests for President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Speaking to the Israeli press in the VIP gallery at the Capital One Arena, where the pre- and post-inauguration festivities took place, Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz said the council was looking forward to continuing its relationship with the new administration.
“We arrived here from Judea and Samaria after many years of working with senior officials in the new Trump administration, who have visited us in Binyamin and throughout Judea and Samaria,” he said.
“President Trump has done so much for Israel. We hope he will continue assisting the communities of Judea and Samaria to develop and flourish while strengthening Israel’s security. We are here to thank the president, deepen ties and ensure that, with God’s help, the bonds between Israel and the United States continue to grow.”
Yesha Council international spokeswoman Eliana Passentin told JNS, “As an Israeli born in America, it was very uplifting to be in the arena today and feel a change in the air. The previous administration sanctioned Israelis in Judea and Samaria, and this new administration is a blessing to the biblical heartland. That’s the message we left for President Trump in Times Square: ‘Strong allies make great friends.’”
Passentin was referring to an electronic billboard campaign the delegation launched in Times Square the evening before the inauguration, expressing appreciation for Trump’s support for the State of Israel.
“It was heartwarming to see the families of the hostages together up on stage with President Trump, and we pray the remaining hostages return home soon,” she added.
Several days before the inauguration, more than 20 members of Congress, as well as officials from the incoming administration, evangelical leaders and American Jewish community representatives gathered for the launch of the Congressional Caucus for Judea and Samaria.
The caucus, an initiative of Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, in collaboration with New York Rep. Claudia Tenney, aims to deepen ties between Israel and its friends in Congress and promote legislative initiatives that support Judea and Samaria communities.
At the caucus’s launch, Dagan, who was also a member of the Yesha Council delegation, said, “We begin a marathon together today, that will lead us to victory—a victory of historical justice for the security of the State of Israel, for the security of the United States of America and for all of Western culture.”
The Hamas terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack “made it clear that we are not only fighting for our security, but for the future of our civilization,” he added. “Our enemies see us—America and Israel—as a single enemy. We have to fight together. If we fight together, we will be victorious.”
As part of a series of meetings the delegation held prior to the inauguration, Dagan met with Florida Rep. Brian Mast, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, who expressed his support for the communities of Judea and Samaria.
“On Monday, when President Trump takes office, there will be a new sheriff in town,” said Mast. “There is no better time for our relationship to thrive, and to thrive with dignity. I think that the most powerful word in my Hebrew vocabulary is brit achim [‘covenant of brotherhood’]. We have a strong brit achim, and it will continue to grow.”
The delegation also held meetings with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, New York Rep. Michael Lawler and many others.
