Earlier this week, I attended an event at Huvy’s in Jerusalem, a space that has become a meeting point for ideas about Israel, faith, and destiny.
It wasn’t a gala or a campaign event. It was an evening of real conversations about values, leadership, and how the connection between America and Israel runs deeper than politics.
Among those who spoke was Mark Walker, the former U.S. Congressman recently nominated by President Trump to serve as Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. He spoke with honesty and conviction about the moral foundation of the U.S.-Israel relationship, that it’s not just strategic, but spiritual. That America’s role as a friend to the Jewish people is rooted in shared faith and the belief that freedom itself is divine.
We also heard from MK Amichai Chikli and MK Simcha Rothman, who reminded everyone in the room that Israel’s strength has always come from remembering who we are; a nation built on faith, not fear, and that our allies stand strongest with us when they share that conviction.
And then there was the setting.
Surrounded by biblical art; Abraham standing tall despite being thrown into the burning furnace, Moses leading our people through the desert, Samson in his final moment of strength, and even a piece depicting the fall of Haman and the gratitude our nation felt for the revealed hand of God, it was impossible not to feel the weight of history in the room.
These weren’t just paintings. They were reminders that the story of the Jewish people has never been about comfort, it’s been about courage.
About walking with faith even when the outcome isn’t clear, and even more, when it feels there’s no way out.
And maybe that’s what made this evening so powerful. Because when leaders from both Israel and America stand together in a room surrounded by those stories, not in a government hall, but in a gallery filled with the echoes of our past, it brings everything into perspective.
It reminds you that our connection isn’t just political. It’s covenantal.
That the friendship between America and Israel isn’t built on convenience, but on shared belief in God, in freedom, and in moral clarity.
At a time when the world feels increasingly divided, gatherings like this matter. They bring us back to center. They remind us that our faith, our values, and our unity as a people are not relics of the past, they’re the reason we still stand.
And as I looked around that room surrounded by the stories of Abraham, Moses, Samson, and Esther, I couldn’t help but think of the verse that began it all:
“I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse; and through you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
May that promise continue to guide this friendship and may it remind all who stand with Israel that they stand with God and the story that He Himself began, and continues.
Juda Honickman is an entrepreneur, strategist, and storyteller driven by a deep love for Israel and the Jewish people. His work bridges business, culture, and faith - building initiatives that strengthen communities, preserve legacy, and inspire action.