The “Future of Judea and Samaria” event opened with calls for moral clarity in international diplomacy. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar challenged what he described as “the world’s double standard” on Jewish life beyond the Green Line. He reminded the audience of a conversation between former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Pope John Paul II, in which the pontiff drew a distinction between “the Holy Land” and “the Promised Land.” “Holy for the three religions,” Sa’ar quoted the pope as saying, “but promised only to the Jews.” The anecdote drew applause from a crowd that included senior Israeli officials, religious leaders, and representatives from Judea and Samaria.
From the same stage, Amichai Chikli, the Israeli minister in charge of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, tied the legitimacy of Judea and Samaria to both security and faith. He dismissed the notion of “settler violence” as a campaign of dehumanization, arguing that demonizing Jewish residents of the territory “paves the way for violence against them.” His tone sharpened as he reflected on the cost of Israel’s 2005 Gaza withdrawal: “We betrayed the land of Israel when we withdrew from Gaza — and the land did not forget.”
The country’s internal divisions, said Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chair Simcha Rothman, have given way to an unexpected consensus. “Eighty members of the Israeli parliament have already supported a resolution on sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” he said. “It’s no longer about coalition or opposition — it’s about the people of Israel recognizing their own roots.”
Among the visiting Americans, Arkansas State Representative Mindy McAlindon spoke of a covenant older than politics. “When America stands with Israel,” she said, “we are not just making a political statement. We are honoring a covenant that began long before any modern embassy was created.” Her remarks came after an emotional address by Ditza Or, mother of recently released hostage Avinatan Or, who described her son’s survival after two years in Hamas captivity as “a miracle that returned light to our lives.”
The gathering—co-hosted by American Friends of Judea and Samaria and the Jewish News Syndicate—brought together public officials, clergy, and activists from both countries. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who had been listed among the speakers, was ultimately unable to attend. The event concluded with repeated affirmations of solidarity between Israel and its Christian allies, centered on a shared belief in the enduring bond between faith, history, and the land of Judea and Samaria.