The new U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, met with Samaria governor Yossi Dagan. The two fixed a mezuzah made of stones from the biblical Mt. Ebal on Huckabee’s office door.
A first-of-its-kind diplomatic event took place at the U.S. Embassy in Israel, where the incoming ambassador, Mike Huckabee, hosted Yossi Dagan, governor of Samaria, in his office in Jerusalem and fixed a mezuzah at the entrance to the office.
The mezuzah is a small scroll containing four paragraphs from the Bible, which Jews are commanded to affix ‘to the doorposts of your house and in your gates’ in Deuteronomy.
During the meeting, the two discussed the security and historical challenges of Judea and Samaria. Dagan, Huckabee’s longtime friend, presented him with a mezuzah crafted by the artist Asaf Kidron from Itamar, made of stones from Mount Ebal, the site of the altar of Joshua.
Huckabee thanked Dagan warmly. The two together fixed the mezuzah at the entrance to his official office at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Dagan recited the mezuzah blessing and added the blessing of ‘Shehechiyanu’, thanking God for keeping the attendees alive to witness the event.
Huckabee stated, “Thank you to my friend Yossi Dagan. It is an honor for me to receive such a beautiful gift from Samaria. It is a reminder, every time I enter my office, that there are people praying for the peace of Jerusalem. And we all pray for the peace of Judea and Samaria, and for the peace of all of Israel.”
Dagan said to Ambassador Huckabee at the ceremony, ‘I am very excited to fix this mezuzah. We – all the citizens of Samaria, all citizens of Israel, and all Jews around the world – appreciate you. I want to thank you for your heart, for your partnership, and for everything you are doing for Israel and for the United States. And I want to bless you that God, will grant you strength and success to do good for Israel and the United States, and to strengthen the ties between our nations. We love President Trump and the government of Israel. And we love you. May God bless you.”
