I traveled to Israel in January, 2024 to meet the people of a country embroiled in a long-term national trauma. No person in Israel was left untouched by the horrific massacres and desecration of human life at the hands of Hamas terrorists on October 7. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are refugees in their own country, evacuated from dozens of communities in the north and south. Over 100 hostages are still held in Gaza, their condition and whereabouts unknown. Military duty for hundreds of thousands of people has affected every family in the country and rockets from Hamas and Hezbollah continue to fall. I went to Israel to share the pain my people feel, to give encouragement and support, and to communicate my encounters with you. 

I was in Israel in May, 2023. The events of October 7 were a profound shock to me.