USIEA CONGRESSIONAL TOUR
ISRAEL 2026
The U.S.–Israel Education Association (USIEA) is proud to present highlights from our Q1 2026 Congressional Tour to Israel, a transformative seven-day program bringing Members of Congress and senior staff face-to-face with the strategic, political, and demographic realities shaping one of America’s most vital alliances.
This year’s congressional tour marks USIEA’s tenth delegation to Israel. A milestone that reflects the organization’s growth from humble beginnings to international impact.
From Jerusalem to the Golan Heights, participants engaged directly with heads of state, senior diplomats, defense innovators, and regional stakeholders, gaining the kind of firsthand context that no briefing paper can replicate. USIEA designed every element of this program to connect policy to place, grounding critical decisions in geography, history, and contemporary political experience.
REP. TIM WALBERG
MICHIGAN 5TH DISTRICT
House Committee on Education and Workforce, Chairman
House Committee on Natural Resources
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REP. JOHN MOOLENAAR
MICHIGAN 2ND DISTRICT
House Committee on Appropriations, Chairman
House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party
REP. SCOTT FRANKLIN
FLORIDA 18TH DISTRICT
House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee Chairman
House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology
DAY 1: JERUSALEM
Strategic Foundations and Historical Context
Congressional Delegation and USIEA Team With
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee
MEETING WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR
The tour opened in Jerusalem with a powerful combination of diplomatic engagement and historical grounding. Participants began with a private breakfast briefing from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who set the stage with a candid discussion of the U.S.–Israel relationship and the regional challenges defining bilateral cooperation today.
The morning continued with educational programming led by Heather Johnston, whose teaching on the Abrahamic Covenant situated contemporary policy debates within the deep historical framework that continues to shape questions of identity, sovereignty, and regional dynamics.
Abrahamic Covenant Teaching by Heather Johnston,
USIEA Founder & President
WESTERN WALL
At the Western Wall, participants met with Chief Rabbi Rabinovitch and explored the site’s remarkable underground sections, a vivid reminder of Jerusalem’s enduring religious and historical significance to Jews and Christians across the world. The delegation then moved to the City of David, where Ze’ev Orenstein guided the group through the newly completed Pilgrimage Road, weaving together archaeology, biblical history, and Israel’s modern national narrative.
Western Wall with Chief Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz
The day concluded with reflection and fellowship at the Davidson Center, followed by dinner in the vibrant Mamilla area. It was a fitting introduction to a week that would seamlessly blend the ancient and the urgent.
The Southern Steps
DAY 2: SAMARIA
Governance, Sovereignty, and Education
Day 2 brought the delegation into the heart of some of the most consequential and often misunderstood territory in the region. Educational instruction from Heather Johnston during the morning transit framed the day’s discussions around long-term national development and the real-world implications of policy decisions made in Washington.
Congressional Delegation with Eran Glazer at the National Leadership Center in Ariel
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CENTER
At the Ariel National Leadership Center, participants met with Mayor Yair Chetboun and Avi Zimmerman for a frank discussion of governance across Areas A, B, and C, covering the administrative and security complexities that rarely make it into policy debates but profoundly shape outcomes on the ground. A working lunch with Governor Yisrael Ganz, Chairman of the Yesha Council, offered a deeper look at the regional planning proposals.
ANCIENT SHILOH
The day concluded in ancient Shiloh, offering participants a meaningful opportunity to connect history and heritage to the living policy questions explored throughout the day.
Ancient Shiloh
DAY:3 JERUSALEM AND JUDEA
History, Leadership, and Local Perspectives
Day 3 combined powerful historical education with some of the trip’s most eye-opening engagement.
MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER
The day started with a direct meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. Discussions centered on national security, regional dynamics, and the shared strategic challenges confronting Israel and its allies. For the delegation, this was a defining moment, a testament to the trust USIEA has built with Israeli leadership and the weight that congressional engagement carries at the highest levels of government.
Congressional Delegation with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
HEBRON
The delegation then traveled to Hebron, where a meeting with Palestinian Sheikh Ashraf Jabari and his Israeli business partner Avi Zimmerman offered rare insight into local leadership, economic cooperation, and the municipal realities. A visit to the Tombs of the Patriarchs with Rabbi Simcha also underscored the profound religious and historical sensitivities at the heart of the region.
Tomb of the Patriarchs
Meeting with Sheikh Ashraf Al-Jabari
The day’s capstone was a dinner roundtable at Gush Etzion Winery, a remarkable gathering bringing together Israeli Minister Nir Barkat and six Palestinian Sheikhs to discuss an alternative vision to a two-state solution. This kind of direct, multifaceted dialogue is exactly what USIEA tours make possible and lends unique possibilities for the peace process.
DAY 4: JERUSALEM
Strategic Technology, Investment, and Global Competition
Day 4 showcased Israel’s indispensable role as a strategic and technological partner for the United States. The morning opened with a private briefing from Chaim Gelfand, Chief Compliance Officer at NSO Solutions, on guardrails for AI collaboration, a timely and substantive discussion on how democratic allies can balance innovation, security, and accountability in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Representatives from OurCrowd, including Chief Strategic Investment Officer Ely Razin, and Biolojix presented the delegation with compelling insights into friendshoring possibilities and Israel’s world-class innovation ecosystem. A briefing from Assaf Orion on China’s growing presence and influence added critical geopolitical context, situating Israel’s partnerships within the broader strategic competition reshaping global order.
Heather Johnston closed the evening with spiritual teaching and personal reflection, offering participants space to process the gravity of the day’s discussions before dinner at Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem.
DAY: 5 NORTHERN FRONTS
Defense Innovation and Regional Threats
The delegation turned its attention to Israel’s northern front, traveling by helicopter, a dramatic transition that set the tone for a day of serious defense engagement.
At Rafael, Ari Sacher and Gideon Weiss delivered a compelling briefing on cutting-edge laser defense technology, one of many areas where Israel’s innovation continues to set the global standard. The group then traveled to Mount Bental on the Golan Heights, where Ilan Schulman’s Syrian briefing brought regional analysis to life as the delegation looked across the Syrian border.
DAY 6: GALILEE
Borders, History, and Northern Security
Day 6 wove together historical and spiritual richness with pressing security realities along Israel’s northern border. The delegation visited sites of profound historical and biblical resonance brought to life through expert guidance.
Over lunch, Sarit Zahavi and Ari Sacher delivered a sobering Lebanese border briefing, connecting the scenic northern landscape to the security challenges that define life in the region. A boat ride on the Sea of Galilee provided a reflective close to a day that captured, perhaps better than any other, the unique experience USIEA tours offer, where ancient history and modern statecraft converge.
DAY 7: GALILEE REGION
Synthesis, Policy Application, and Departure
The final day was designed to turn a week of extraordinary experiences into a lasting impact. USIEA Executive Director Joan Leslie McGill’s Policy Lanes briefing translated the delegation’s firsthand education into practical frameworks for congressional engagement, ensuring that what participants saw, heard, and felt throughout the week would inform real decisions back in Washington.
The tour concluded at Mount Carmel and Caesarea, with a farewell dinner that brought the delegation together one last time before evening departures.
THE USIEA DIFFERENCE
EDUCATION THAT MOVES POLICY
USIEA’s Q1 2026 Congressional Tour delivered something no policy paper or committee briefing can. It provided direct, immersive engagement with the people, places, and decisions at the center of the U.S.–Israel relationship. Participants returned to Washington with sharper judgment, deeper context, and stronger relationships, assets that directly strengthen the quality of American policy.
Watch our video testimonials.
Rep. Scott Franklin
Rep. John Moolenaar
We are deeply grateful to the distinguished speakers, gracious hosts, and dedicated partners who made this program possible, and to the supporters whose commitment to education and alliance-building enables USIEA to do this vital work.
