In a symbolic gesture underscoring ties between the Trump administration and the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (so-called “settlements”), Paula White, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and head of the White House Faith Office, said she would hang a mezuzah from Samaria in the White House. The mezuzah was presented to her by Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, during a recent meeting in Washington.
Highlighting support for the Jews of the biblical heartland
Dagan met with White in Washington as part of a broader series of engagements with Trump administration officials, senators, and members of Congress. During the meeting, Dagan gifted White a handmade mezuzah crafted from stones of Mount Ebal, near the biblical altar of Joshua, by artist Asaf Kidron from the community of Itamar. White, a key figure in Trump’s inner circle and a liaison to Evangelical Christian leaders, expressed her appreciation, stating, “I feel great honor to receive this wonderful gift. I will make sure to place it in my office. It’s great to be here. Many blessings and prayers to Samaria—I’ve been there many times. I pray for peace for Israel, Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria.”
Paula White receives an ornate mezuzah from Samaria and promises to hang it in the White House, bolstering the Trump admin’s commitment to the Jews of the biblical heartland. pic.twitter.com/KHFSaOENf6
— Ryan Jones (@ryaninzion) March 13, 2025
Dagan praised White’s role, saying, “You are doing a historic mission—we will win together.” He concluded the meeting by blessing her with the priestly blessing and wishing her strength and success in fostering renewed cooperation between the United States and Israel, adding, “May the Holy One, Blessed be He, give you strength, power, and success to restore the good collaboration between the US and Israel—to be strong again!”
When White was appointed to her current post back in February, Dagan called her a “true friend of the Jewish nation and the State of Israel, and especially the Jewish pioneers in Judea and Samaria, the land of the Bible.”
Broader context of Dagan’s Washington visit
Dagan’s meeting with White is part of a marathon of discussions aimed at bolstering US support for Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. His efforts include lobbying to replace the term “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in official US documents, a campaign he co-leads with US Representative Claudia Tenney through a congressional caucus with over 20 members.
See related: Christians urge Jews to seize sovereignty over Judea and Samaria
White’s prominence in Trump’s administration was underscored by her four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife during their visit to Washington last month, highlighting her influential role.
Additional engagements and regional support
During his visit, Dagan also met with Massad Boulos, Trump’s son-in-law and special advisor on Middle Eastern affairs. Boulos conveyed his support, saying, “It is a great pleasure and honor to meet you, and to convey through you my heartfelt appreciation to the people of Samaria. To my brothers and sisters in Israel and Lebanon, we look forward to peace and yearn for peace, and with God’s help, we hope it will be soon.”
Symbolic gesture and future implications
Dagan thanked White for her “very important mission from the Holy One, Blessed be He,” expressing hope that her success would benefit Jews in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria—referred to as “the land of the Bible”—as well as Israel and the US as a whole. The decision to hang a mezuzah from Samaria in the White House symbolizes the strong alignment between the Trump administration and Israeli sovereignty advocates, reinforcing ongoing efforts to solidify American support for Israel’s presence in this sacred hill country.
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