PHOTO RELEASE: Lieutenant Governors Conclude Successful Trade Mission to Israel
Washington, DC — The State Government Leadership Foundation (SGLF), the policy partner of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), successfully concluded its trade mission to Israel last week. Six lieutenant governors from across the country participated in the trip, which lasted from March 18 – 25, and allowed them to strengthen the economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties between their respective states and America’s most important ally in the Middle East.
The lieutenant governors who attended were:
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch
Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg
Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley
South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette
Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson
“The SGLF’s Trade Mission to Israel was an incredible experience that allowed us to foster a better partnership between our states and America’s strongest ally in the Middle East,” said the lieutenant governors. “We formed strong relationships and gained a lasting understanding of how we can work together to secure regional stability, grow our economic cooperation, and maintain strong diplomatic ties. We look forward to sharing what we learned with our constituents and how the relationships we developed will benefit our states going forward.”
During the trade mission, the lieutenant governors met with Israeli government officials, private industry leaders, and members of the Israeli Defense Forces. Below is an overview of what the lieutenant governors did each day.
MARCH 18
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez took a moment to reflect during a somber trip to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
MARCH 19
The group toured some of the most important religious and cultural sites in Israel, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, the site of the Last Supper, King David’s tomb, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Ronald Dermer sat down with the lieutenant governors to discuss the threat posed to the western world if the Iran Nuclear Deal is reinstated.
MARCH 20
The delegation had meetings at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the importance of the diplomatic and economic relationships between the United States and Israel.
The lieutenant governors saw the outside of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament).
Later in the day, the delegation visited the holiest site in Judaism, the Western Wall, where delegation members took some personal time for prayer and reflection.
MARCH 21
Minister of Interior Ayelet Shaked hosted the lieutenant governors.
The delegation visited the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which was opened by President Trump in 2018.
MARCH 22
The lieutenant governors engaged in a thoughtful discussion about the American-Israeli diplomatic relationship and the challenges they face with former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
MARCH 23
The lieutenant governors met with United Hatzalah, a charitable organization that supports volunteer-based emergency medical response in Israel, as well as other countries around the world. United Hatzalah provided assistance after the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami and is currently involved in the medical response in Ukraine.
The delegation toured the biblical city of Shiloh, the sanctuary of the Israelites.
The lieutenant governors had dinner with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed how to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and their respective states.
MARCH 24
As part of the trade mission, the lieutenant governors sat down with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (above) and Defense Minister Benny Gantz (below) to discuss Israel and America’s partnership, as well as the broader geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.
Utah lieutenant governor Deidre Henderson posed for a picture after an informative dinner with some of the leading figures of the Israeli start-up, tech industry.
MARCH 25
The lieutenant governors attended a briefing from the IDF on the threat to Israel from Iran backed terror organizations in Gaza and Lebanon. They also visited an Iron Dome site.
The trade mission spent an unforgettable day in Hebron visiting the cave of the patriarchs and matriarchs, the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah.
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