Mindy McAlindon and Yossi Dagan
Mindy McAlindon and Yossi Daganצילום: דוברות

The Arkansas House of Representatives in the state of Arkansas in the United States recently formed a unique partnership to promote business and technological ties with the State of Israel and specifically with Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.

The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Mindy McAlindon, who spoke with the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, in order to explore possible cooperation with Judea and Samaria. After a joint effort by the council head and his advisors, the motion was drafted and passed in the House of Representatives of Arkansas.

The resolution’s supporters touted its uniqueness, emphasizing that that it is not only about general relations with Israel, but also about promoting ties between Arkansas and Judea and Samaria in particular.

This decision is the first to specifically address the special connection with the Greater Land of Israel - including Judea and Samaria.

The motion promotes normalization of Judea and Samaria Israeli towns in the area, and supporting Israel’s right to areas in the heart of the historic Jewish homeland.

"I commend my friend Mindy McAlindon and the House of Representatives in Arkansas for the important and courageous decision to recognize Judea and Samaria and to support partnerships in various fields in Judea and Samaria,” Dagan said. “Together, we will counter the demonization against the settlements in Judea and Samaria.”

"There is a deep brotherhood between our two nations, stemming from our shared values of faith in the Bible, freedom, democracy, and security. I believe that we can change the perception of Israel and Judea and Samaria through proper, explanatory, and diplomatic activities.”

“I invite public officials in the United States to visit Samaria and see with their own eyes our struggle to preserve the land of our forefathers and witness the construction in Samaria for the strengthening of our joint initiatives. I believe that this partnership will benefit both peoples, the United States, and Israel, and contribute to the strengthening of the alliance between us."

"It is an honor for me to promote one of the first decisions in America that recognizes the importance of Samaria,” said McAlindon, who drafted the motion. “I wanted to address not only the legal status of the settlements in Judea and Samaria, which is self-evident, but to focus on our special connection with Judea and Samaria that so many citizens of Arkansas recognize from the Bible.”

"The decision was an expression of how many residents of Arkansas feel towards Israel and especially towards the biblical regions throughout Judea and Samaria. Arkansas is a friend of Israel, we have a governor who is a friend of Israel, and I look forward to seeing how this decision promotes more meaningful cooperation."

The decision's initiative stated that Arkansas has a special connection with Israel in general and Judea and Samaria in particular: Some of the cities in Arkansas are named after cities and towns in Judea and Samaria, such as "Bethel," "Hebron," "Shiloh," "Shalem," and many others. Just as Judea and Samaria are "at the heart of Israel," Arkansas is also located in what is called the "heart of America."

The resolution calls for the formation of strategic collaborations between the state of Arkansas and Israel, specifically with Judea and Samaria, in the fields of education, history, religion, archaeology, agriculture, and innovation.

The governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, formerly served as White House Press Secretary under President Donald Trump, and is the daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a long-time supporter of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria.