American leaders gathered at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate signed a declaration recognizing Judea and Samaria as an inseparable part of Israel during the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast on January 12-13. The statement represents a significant political commitment by religious and political leaders who affirm the enduring connection between the Jewish people and the biblical heartland.
The declaration, signed by Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast founder Albert Veksler, MK Ohad Tal, Binyamin Regional Council Head and Yesha Council Chairman Israel Gantz, Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan, and numerous American leaders, establishes clear political support for Israeli sovereignty over the biblical territories. The two-day invitation-only gathering brought together government leaders, Knesset members, pastors, U.S. lawmakers, and international delegates, including a Latvian parliamentary delegation and the Prince of Belgium.
The document stated: “We, the undersigned, affirm the deep and eternal connection of the Jewish people to the Land of the Bible, Judea and Samaria, the beating heart of humanity’s spiritual story.” The declaration continues: “In these places – at Bethel and Shiloh, in Hebron and Shechem – the call for justice, covenant, and compassion was first heard. Here the prophets walked; here prayer, faith, and hope were born.”
The signatories pledged: “We commit to preserving our connection to this Holy Land, strengthening our ties to it, and ensuring that the heritage born here will continue to illuminate the path of all humanity.”
Yossi Dagan stated, “This declaration is a clear moral and political statement. Judea and Samaria are at the heart of the Jewish people’s identity and an inseparable part of the State of Israel. Seeing American leaders openly stand with historical truth and justice provides important support to the people of Israel and to the struggle for our future. Standing together is a key to Israel’s victory and to the victory of the United States.”
Israel Gantz added: “The signing of the declaration sends a sharp and unambiguous message: Judea and Samaria are at the heart of the biblical story and an inseparable part of the State of Israel. This is a political declaration by American leaders who openly stand with Israel, strengthening the values-based, historical alliance between our two countries.”
MK Ohad Tal, Chairman of the Knesset Israel-U.S. Relations Caucus, said: “The success story of the State of Israel stems at its core from our connection to God and the Bible. Therefore, precisely from here – from the residence of the leader of the world’s biggest superpower – we reaffirm and declare our shared commitment to the eternal covenant between the People of the Bible and the Land of the Bible. This is a moving and important day for Israel-U.S. relations.”
The event also featured a planned address by exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who was summoned to Washington for pressing meetings as demonstrations in Iran turned deadly, with thousands of protesters killed. Pastor Steve Berger read Pahlavi’s letter to attendees, in which the crown prince thanked him “for introducing me to the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast,” adding, “I place an immense value on the Jewish and Evangelical Christian communities who have given so much support and solidarity for the people of Iran.”
Pahlavi wrote: “Iran needs you and your voice right now more than any other time in the last 47 years since the Ayatollahs brutally started oppressing my beloved country.” He requested prayers for the Iranian people “in their final battle for liberation” and for the peace of “Jerusalem, Tehran, and the world.”
In a video statement, Pahlavi recounted the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters. He spoke of a doctor who treated a young girl shot in the face with a broken jaw. She demanded immediate treatment so she could return to the streets. “I want to continue to fight,” the girl said. “I want to be there to see my leader return so we can ultimately be safe from this regime.”
Pahlavi emphasized that Iranians are “peace-loving people” who want “a brotherly relationship with our neighbors.” He stated: “Unlike this regime, they are not at war with Israel but want to have cordial relations with the state of Israel and our Arab neighbors. Unlike this regime, Iranians are tolerant. They are diverse. They respect every faith.” Discrimination against Jews, Baha’is, and Christians was regime policy, not the will of the Iranian people, he said.
Pahlavi concluded by thanking attendees and expressing hope: “Hopefully, we’ll have the next prayer breakfast in Tehran.”
The Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast is heading into its tenth anniversary, having held nine annual gatherings in Israel and 27 outside the country. The initiative follows a large-scale event held about a month ago at Ancient Shiloh in the Binyamin region, attended by more than a thousand pastors, leaders, and influencers from the United States.
The Mar-a-Lago declaration represents more than diplomatic courtesy. American leaders placed their names on a document that rejects the international consensus demanding Israeli withdrawal from biblical lands. They recognized what the Sages understood millennia ago: the covenant between God, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel cannot be divided or negotiated away. The signatories chose biblical truth over political expediency, and their declaration will stand as testimony to that choice.
