US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday made an unprecedented visit to Ariel University in Samaria as part of his official trip to Israel, accompanied by a delegation of Republican members of Congress. The event was held as part of a conference organized by the Yesha Council and the US-Israel Education Association (USIEA). This marks the highest-level visit by an American official to Judea and Samaria ever.
During the visit, Johnson delivered a speech in which he stated, “The hills of Judea and Samaria are the rightful inheritance of the Jewish people.” He criticized Israel’s allies who call for recognition of a Palestinian state and concluded with a message: “As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, it must remind the American people of the Judeo-Christian foundations established here in the land of Israel.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson becomes the first U.S. Speaker to visit Ariel in the West Bank.
Hosted by the Yesha Council, Johnson declared: “Judea and Samaria is an integral part of Israel.”
📸Ariel Municipality pic.twitter.com/uedgvAE66B— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) August 4, 2025
Mark Zell, Chairman of the Republican Party in Israel, who participated in Speaker Johnson’s visit to Ariel University, said: “This is a historic moment. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee stated that while America has many allies and friends around the world, it has only one true partner: Israel. Today’s visit proves this beyond any doubt. It is a clear expression of President Donald Trump’s resolute support for Israel and recognition that Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria is not an obstacle to peace but an expression of the historical and legal right of the Jewish people to their land.”
Joining the House Speaker were Huckabee and his daughter, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee-Sanders. The purpose of the visit, as emphasized by local officials, was to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries and deepen understanding of the region, with a focus on the public debate in the United States regarding the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Notably, under the US Constitution, the Speaker of the House is third in the line of succession after the President and Vice President, making Johnson’s visit the most senior American visit to Judea and Samaria to date.
During the visit, the delegation toured the National Leadership Development Center in the city, where they participated in a symbolic vine-planting ceremony attended by 15 additional US Congress members. The ceremony was intended to symbolize the strategic partnership between the US and Israeli administrations and to underscore America’s commitment to the Jewish people’s right to sovereignty over their land.
Today, U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson made a historic first visit to Ariel in the Samaria region, accompanied by Ambassador Mike Huckabee and senior members of Congress, hosted by Ariel Mayor Yair Shatbon.
Mike Johnson is second in the US presidential line of succession, pic.twitter.com/B5siAkBbIw
— IdostandwithIsrael🇮🇱 Israel news (@idostandwithIL) August 4, 2025
The main event was a festive lunch attended by additional local authority leaders from Samaria. Ariel’s Mayor, Yair Chetboun, called the visit “a historic moment of shared values, deep friendship, and a strong partnership between the United States and Israel, and between the United States and Judea and Samaria, the place where the Jewish story began.” Chetboun added that the visit is a testament to American support for recognizing and strengthening Israeli sovereignty in the region.
One of the most moving moments of the day was the visit by the parents of Staff Sgt. Vitaly Skipakevich, Yelena and Ruslan, residents of Ariel. Vitaly, a soldier in the elite Egoz unit, fell in battle on October 7 at Kibbutz Kissufim while saving civilian lives. Chetboun invited the parents to the stage, noting: “The true repair for the heavy disaster that occurred on October 7, in which your dear one fell, begins here, through planting roots and insisting on our right to be here. We will continue to commemorate Vitaly and the memory of the fallen through acts of building and connecting to this land.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, Chetboun presented the American delegation with a symbolic gift: a coin engraved with the words “A man in whom there is spirit,” a biblical description of Joshua son of Nun.
🔶 The highest ranking US official to ever visit Samaria – the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly alongside US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and others came to Ariel the largest Jewish city in Samaria in a historic visit. pic.twitter.com/Jpv0ko3UHG
— Monika (@Monika_is_His) August 4, 2025
Johnson and Huckabee spoke during the event. In their remarks, they emphasized the importance of the bond between the two nations and reiterated that “the American friend” came to say: “This land is yours,” and to push forward recognition of sovereignty in the region. The meeting marked a clear line of unity: a renewed alliance, not only between governments but between peoples who recognize their shared values and roots.
Johnson said:
“Every corner of this land is important to us. It is an inseparable part of our faith, and therefore its significance to us is immense. But to be here, exactly where you are—in the true cradle of our faith—is even more meaningful.
“It is also somewhat sad to us that not many have had the chance to come here. We hope that in the future, they will. We stand with you completely.
“The Bible teaches us that the hills of Judea and Samaria were promised to the Jewish people, and they belong to you by right. But many in the world today do not see it that way—they call it ‘occupied territories’ or ‘the West Bank’ or any other name.
“Every mayor here needs to know exactly where we stand on this issue—and we stand with you.”
Huckabee added:
“I tell people all the time: America has many friends, we have quite a few allies—but we truly have only one true partner. And that is Israel.
“God chose the Jewish people. The destiny He gave them is to be a light unto the nations, and through them, divine truth will be revealed. And He gave them a place—a tiny strip of land, perhaps the most contested piece of earth in the entire world. And He said: This is yours.
“Israelis love to joke that God gave them the only part of the Middle East without oil. But it has something far more important—God’s fingerprint. He said: This is Mine, and I give it to you.
“Therefore, the land of Israel is not a matter for human debate but a matter of accepting divine will. And what God decreed 3,800 years ago—that is what we must accept as His destiny, through His people, in the place He determined.”
At the end of the day, Mayor Chetboun concluded: “It is a diplomatic and national mission for us to host this summit. We are filled with pride and honor that the city of Ariel, the capital of Samaria, was chosen as the venue for this historic meeting. We thank the US administration, President Trump, and his team for the tailwind they provide us.”
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