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Senator highlights Utah’s ties to Israel, invites visit to BYU’s Jerusalem campus
Summary
A senator recounted personal ties to Israel, including time living on a kibbutz and attending Brigham Young University’s campus in Jerusalem, praised the Abraham Accords and offered to broker a meeting at BYU’s Mount of Olives campus.
A senator opened a hearing by praising long-standing ties between Utah and Israel and by recounting personal experience living on a kibbutz in 1979, saying those ties shape his view of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
"Utah has a very special relationship with Israel," the senator said, noting local landmarks and Brigham Young University’s connection to the region. He said he was present in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter signed the peace accord with Israel and Egypt and keeps a copy of the Jerusalem Post from that day in his office.
The senator described the Abraham Accords as "equally noteworthy" and invited a fellow participant to visit BYU’s Jerusalem campus on the Mount of Olives, offering to help broker a meeting so the visitor could see the campus activity.
A second speaker confirmed familiarity with the BYU facility and described it as "a beautiful, beautiful facility" with "spectacular views of the old city." The exchange included lighthearted remarks about arranging an organ recital on a future visit.
The discussion was introductory and ceremonial in tone: senators and witnesses described religious and educational ties as part of the context for U.S. engagement with Israel, but no policy proposals, votes, or formal actions were recorded in the transcript for this topic.
