Congressman Andy Barr from Kentucky visited Judea and Samaria with the Yes Israel! Project, and has a clear message to say to Congress and the entire world.  A strong and safe Israel is not only good for Israel and the Middle East.  It is good for the United States and the entire world.  

This is much more than a nice sounding pro-Israel statement.  It is based on a clear understanding that the heartland of the Jewish people is in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.  Why?  There are multiple reasons.

First off, historically, the Jewish people in the time of the Bible, 3,000 years ago and more, in the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, traversed the Land of Israel – in the areas that are today Judea and Samaria.  The Cave of the Patriarchs is in Hebron.  The location where the very first Altar for an offering to God was brought was in Shechem.  These are two places that are solidly in the Judea and Samaria.  There are two large Arab cities sitting on these two locations, but there are also Jewish settlements right nearby them.  

These places were not filled with Jews nor with Arabs for thousands of years.  They were largely empty until the late 1800’s.  That is when the Jewish resettlemקnt of the Land of Israel of the early pioneers led Arabs from other areas in the Middle East to look for financial possibilities west of the Jordan.  Basically, the area that comprises the State of Israel today was largely a wasteland for a few thousand years.

But more than any other reason, the religious connection that the Jewish people have with the Land of Israel is by far the most ancient religious connection that any people have with any Land in the entire world.  The Chosen People were Chosen by God to live and flourish in the Chosen Land.  

Most people would bring the Democratic argument to support the State of Israel.  They would say that Israel is a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.  This is of course true.  But beyond that, Israel is a beacon of light to the world on an ethical and moral level.  This is due to Israel’s connection to the Bible, which goes back to Israel’s forefathers who traversed the Heartland of Israel.  Congressman Barr gets it, and we in Israel are proud to have a true friend in the US Congress.