A group of lawmakers in Mississippi are promising to reinforce the state’s support of Israel amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
On Tuesday afternoon, officials representing both the Magnolia State and the state of Israel announced the formation of the Mississippi-Israel Legislative Caucus. The goal of the caucus is for both governments to work jointly to strengthen their political, economic, and cultural bonds.
Sens. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, and Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, will serve as co-chairs of the new, bipartisan legislative group for their chamber while Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, and Rep. Otis Anthony, D-Indianola, will represent the House. The lawmakers will be tasked with maintaining communication with Anat Sultan-Dadon, consulate general of Israel for the Southeastern U.S.
“We are blessed to be in a region where we have so many incredible friends and partners,” Sultan-Dadon said on Mornings with Richard Cross. “The great state of Mississippi is a shining example of a state that has consistently stood by Israel — a state with which we have incredibly close, strong relations.”
Proud to welcome Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon to our State Capitol this morning.
Mississippi stands with Israel! 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/0f3QPJJPqn
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 25, 2025
Sultan-Dadon operates out of the Middle Eastern nation’s Atlanta office, which covers seven states, one of which is Mississippi. Each state in her region is represented by a Republican governor, though Sultan-Dadon noted that there has been support for Israel on both sides of the aisle, as is the case with the new caucus in Mississippi.
According to the Israeli diplomat, it is important for a bipartisan coalition to stand strong in demonstrating dedication to defending Israel and its causes as “a very loud minority” voices harsh criticism of the Jewish state. Critics, in recent years, have decried Israel’s response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that claimed the lives of nearly 1,200 Israeli citizens.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, referred to the attack as the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust, and billions of dollars in American aid was subsequently transported to Israel for military assistance. Detractors, on the other hand, have called into question how Israel countered the attack.
The Arab Center in Washington, D.C. argues that Israel’s retaliation against Hamas has been a “genocidal attack on Gaza” that has claimed the lives of roughly 42,000 Palestinians and injured just under 100,000 people. Sultan-Dadon says those placing the blame on Israel are misguided and that terror groups, like Hamas, are the guilty parties of the persisting conflict.
“For all these years, the relations have remained very strong regardless of who was sitting in the White House and regardless of who was sitting in the Prime Minister’s office or in the government in Jerusalem, because the relations are based on common values and shared interests that transcend this or that political affiliation,” she said.
“We’ve certainly heard a very loud minority over the last 16 months since the October 7 attack on Israel and the ensuing war, but I don’t believe that minority that is criticizing Israel instead of terror speaks for the overwhelming majority of Americans.”
In the U.S., college campuses have become a hotbed for protests in which participants call for the freedom of the Palestinian people from “Israeli oppression.” One such protest occurred at Ole Miss last May but was met with strong resistance from students who broke out in the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.
As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied once-Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Protestors have since argued that the millions of Palestinians living in those regions have been systemically persecuted by the Israeli government and the alleged removal of individuals from their homeland.
A frequent chant heard by pro-Palestinian protestors on campuses nationwide is, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” referring to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which encompasses Israel. The chant stems from a sentiment that Palestinians are the rightful occupants of the land.
Sultan-Dadon believes these protests are being fueled by bad actors manipulating the impressionable minds of young people, particularly college students. She contends that people who are generally ignorant to what they are protesting are being emotionally exploited to parade a dangerous cause — one that is lauded by groups seeking the eradication of Israel.
“They are selling lies. They are selling false narratives and they have garnered support and attention of those who really do not understand what it is they are supporting,” Sultan-Dadon said. “When these demonstrators are receiving the praise of the Iranian terror regime and of the Hamas and Hezbollah terror leaders, that really tells you all you need to know about what it is that they’re aligning themselves with.
“This is certainly of concern to Israel, to the Jewish community that is being targeted, but it should really be of grave concern to every American. This extends far beyond Israel and the Jewish people.”
She says the true battle exists between the free world and “a radical Islamist ideology” attempting to spur hate and terror in the U.S. The Mississippi-Israel Legislative caucus will serve to prevent such narratives about the Jewish State and the alleged rise of antisemitism hinder the Magnolia State’s diplomatic relationship with a nation that champions itself as one of America’s greatest allies.
