U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met in Jerusalem with Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, marking his first official meeting with an Israeli municipal leader since taking office.
According to a statement from the Samaria Council, the two discussed "the challenges facing Israel and the security and historical significance of Judea and Samaria," using the biblical names commonly associated with the West Bank in Israeli discourse.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan
(Video: Samaria Regional Council)
At the end of the meeting, which took place last week, Dagan presented Huckabee with a mezuzah crafted from stones from Mount Ebal—considered by some to be the biblical site where Joshua built an altar—handmade by artist Assaf Kidron from the settlement of Itamar.
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The two affixed the mezuzah to the entrance of the ambassador's office, where Dagan recited the traditional blessings, including the Shehecheyanu prayer, often recited upon special occasions.
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US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan affix a mezuzah to Huckabee's office door
(Photo: Samaria Regional Council)
Huckabee thanked Dagan for the gift, saying it would serve as “a reminder, every time I enter my office, that there are people praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And we all pray for the peace of Judea and Samaria, and for the peace of all of Israel.”
A longtime supporter of Israel, Huckabee has visited the West Bank on multiple occasions, including stops in Elon Moreh, Itamar, Barkan, the biblical site of Shiloh and Joseph’s Tomb.