JERUSALEM — As the war between Israel and Hamas hits the two-year mark, Israeli leaders have quietly launched a more peaceful offensive on the public relations front.
It is based on the adage that “all politics is local.” Israel has breathed new life into that chiefly American political proverb with the launch of its latest venture.
While touting the strong partnership between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli officials are now turning their focus toward vital relations at the state level.
50 States, One Israel: Historic Delegation
CBN News was granted an exclusive front-row seat for its new campaign.
The effort, titled “50 States, One Israel,” selected 250 state lawmakers to travel to various sites throughout Israel for a four-day packed itinerary. The delegation included Republicans and Democrats — with a total of about five from each state — to emphasize bipartisan support.
These citizen legislators work in their state capitals, which the Israeli government sees as prime locations for forging new friendships, while also recognizing a long history of local support.
“The state-level representatives can really make a difference in the ties between Israel and the United States,” said Lior Haiat, Deputy Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Alabama was the first state, the first place in the world, that recognized the state of Israel back in 1943 — 5 years before Israel was created,” he explained. “And every state could really change the reality of the Jews, American Jews, {and} trade between their state and Israel.”
While their faces aren’t as familiar as some of their counterparts serving in Congress in the Washington Beltway, the large group drew attention from the moment they landed in Tel Aviv aboard a chartered flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
The trip was completely funded by the Israeli government, with the goal of allowing the lawmakers to get a firsthand glimpse of the sights, sounds, and flavor of the Jewish state.
It included a walking tour of Jerusalem’s Old City, with stops at ancient holy sites like the Western Wall. Many took part in the tradition of placing their written prayers into the wall’s cracks and crevices. At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, several knelt to touch what some believe to be Jesus’s tomb.
“The Christian faith, our roots are right here in Jerusalem,” said Ty Mathews, a Republican serving as an Ohio state representative. “It blows my mind of everything that has happened in history at this location. Right? That our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked these streets.”
Organizers also arranged several meetings with Israel’s top leaders. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the delegation with a speech designed to emphasize what he framed as the shared fight against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi rebels based on common values between Americans and Israelis.
They also met privately with Amir Ohana, Israel’s Speaker of the Knesset, who teamed up with a rock band to give the delegation a mini concert on his guitar after they toured the Knesset.
Wherever they went, each of their hosts acknowledged that they made history as the largest delegation of American politicians to visit Israel.
Deep Impact
For many, what carried the most significance wasn’t necessarily the high-level meetings but rather moments of reflection.
The lawmakers remembered Israel’s long history of suffering by touring Holocaust exhibits at Yad Vashem. A few were chosen to place a wreath at the museum’s eternal flame.
They also met with residents who live near the border with Gaza in communities like Nahal Oz, Be’eri, Kfar Aza, and Nir Oz. All of the kibbutzim experienced tragic loss of life and property during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack.
A few lawmakers were seen wiping away tears as a survivor from Nahal Oz, which sits about half a mile from Gaza, recounted both her own and others’ haunting stories. The oral narrative was occasionally punctuated by the sound of explosions and gunfire in the not so far off distance.
While the group traveled to the border fence under military escort, they did not go into Gaza. Israel had announced the expansion of military ground operations less than 24 hours after the lawmakers arrived.
They also visited the Nova music festival, the site of the largest number of casualties on Oct. 7.
Esther Panitch, a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives, found the memorial of her daughter’s close friend, Gili Adar — one of the 378 people Hamas massacred at the festival.
That same day, another connection, through her son, helped to slightly soften the pain of loss.
“Somebody was looking out for us, because I was on my bus and we had a soldier come on,” she explained. “His voice indicated that he is from the South in the United States and {he} said, ‘Y’all.’ {Then} I said, ‘y’all.’ And he looked right at me and said, ‘Miss Panitch?'”
It took a moment for her to realize the young man was a family friend from the U.S. now serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
“I froze for a second because this is totally out of context. And he said, ‘Yeah, I used to watch the Eagles games with your son, Jacob, and I used to spend a lot of time at your house.’ And, of course, then it came back to me, and I immediately knew who he was. So, of course, I took a picture to send to his mother to let her know that he’s fine and he looks great and introduced him to all my colleagues.”
Landed in Israel! #gapol pic.twitter.com/8kCXMdRBoj
— Rep. Esther Panitch (@epanitch) September 14, 2025
As Georgia’s lone Jewish state representative, she praised her fellow lawmakers’ courage for going on the trip even as more voices challenge America’s support for Israel.
“I know that there has been a pressure campaign to prevent people, especially Democrats, to target them — telling them it’s political suicide for them to come on a trip like this. That they’re being used as propaganda,” Panitch told CBN News. “There are some Republicans who are being divided too, but from my space as a Democrat, I see it a lot.”
“It’s terrifying because Israel needs support from both parties. And the Jewish people need support from both parties,” she added.
Dafna Michaelson Jenet, who serves as a leader in the Colorado State Senate, delivered a speech at a private dinner with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, in which she voiced her strong support for Israel.
“At home, there’s a lot of questions about supporting Israel. There’s a lot of anger around my supporting Israel,” Michaelson Jenet told CBN News. “It’s something I have to deal with every day. So, I don’t have to deal with that while I’m here. I’m ignoring my social media, so it’s phenomenal.”
The pressure campaign continued even after the trip concluded. Several media outlets published stories questioning whether it was ethical, while others — including family members — accused them of being sellouts.
Those negative feelings surrounding Israel are echoed in public surveys.
A recent New York Times/Siena University poll shows a dramatic turning of the tide. Two years after the Hamas attack, a majority of Americans now say they oppose sending economic and military aid to Israel. The poll also noted, for the first time since tracking the issue, slightly more respondents now side with Palestinians over Israelis.
Another stop on the tour was in the West Bank community of Peduel. In 2024, the International Court of Justice denounced it as an illegal settlement on a future Palestinian state. Israel rejects that claim, and local leaders intend to rename Peduel’s panoramic “Balcony of the State” overlook in honor of President Trump.
WEB EXTRA: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar Comments About Peduel Visit
A Legacy of the Past and the Future
Many lawmakers were previously supportive of Israel, viewing the Jewish state as a beacon of democracy, entrepreneurship, and common values. Others said the trip helped them to better appreciate the complexities of the region.
Yasmin Neal, a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives, told CBN News she viewed the trip as a fact-finding mission and stressed the importance of partnerships and dialogue as a strategy that advanced the U.S. Civil Rights movement.
“In order for us to get there, you have to unite. You have to come to the table with people that you don’t ordinarily deal with. And when you’re invited to the table, go to the table and come up with the solution and have that conversation,” Neal said. “But you aren’t going to be able to do that if you refuse to come to the table and have the conversation.”
Before departing, the delegation planted tree seeds in the southern city of Ofakim as a symbol of friendship and resilience — one for each state.
“It’s about seeding, not only in planting seed, but also recognizing the deepening of our relationship — the widening of our relationship with Israel,” said Darius Brown, a Democrat in the Delaware State Senate, who called Israel the “51st state.” “It’s deep-rooted, and it is growing. And its branches are expanding like a very mighty oak.”
Kevin Norwood, who was an Oklahoma youth pastor for more than 30 years before being elected to the state house as a Republican, told CBN News he is more confident about Israel’s future after visiting with the next generation of leaders.
“The high schoolers we were talking with, they know their next step is going into the military. So, they know they’ll be part of the fight and their heart and their mind was pretty clear that they’re going to continue,” Norwood explained.
For many participants, like Norwood, it was their first trip to Israel. Organizers told CBN News that was one of many factors they considered. They also targeted lawmakers who are at the beginning of their legislative careers.
The team made no specific demands of their American guests, other than to share what they observed for themselves. The hope is that trips like these will forge strong, lasting friendships and deepen economic bonds at the state and local levels.
However, some, like Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, did suggest passing anti-BDS laws in their respective states to counter the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
Many of these lawmakers told CBN News the trip was an opportunity to reflect on the horrors Hamas inflicted two years ago and to renew their resolve to speak out for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“These were women. These were children. These are innocents who were victims of the atrocities on Oct. 7th. And that was really powerful,” said Emily Gise, a Republican in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. “I’ll carry that message back with me. And I’m grateful to have so many allies across the entire nation now.”
For many others, the “50 States, One Israel” tour provided a forum for solidarity and moral resolve.
“What this does is create a network and a nexus to reach out to when we have instances of antisemitism and other things that arise in our districts — in our home state,” said Anil Beephan, a Republican in the New York Assembly.
“We are one big family, and I know we can rely on each other should things come up for years to come,” Beephan added.
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