The 'Israel Experience' mobile exhibition brings biblical history, Israel's story to US Evangelical communities

Evangelical Christians in the United States have long been among Israel’s strongest supporters. As anti-Israel narratives have gained prominence in parts of U.S. society, Israel has increasingly invested in strengthening ties with Evangelical communities, including megachurches.

One example is “The Israel Experience,” a mobile exhibition launched by the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, that brings biblical history, virtual reality experiences, and presentations on Israel’s security challenges since the Oct. 7 attacks to Evangelical communities across rural America.

Israel Bachar, Israel's consul-general in LA, launched The Israel Experience project in Lancaster, California – a conservative Christian community north of Los Angeles with strong pro-Israel sentiments.

“The idea is to clarify the connection between the State of Israel and the Land of Israel by reaching the large Christian communities living in rural America,” Bachar told Ynet News.

“Not to stay in big cities but to go out to Americans in the periphery, the ones who vote and have influence. This initiative connects the Christian theological world with the struggle over narrative that we are conducting in Israel. It is essentially a bridge between our truth and their faith.”

He added, "We are trying to fight a shifting public opinion, extreme Christian voices like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, and rising antisemitic conspiracy theories within the community. If the State of Israel does not maintain the Christian coalition that supports us, the foundation of moral support for us will collapse and we will face a very serious problem.”

Yesterday, I visited Lancaster Baptist Church @lbc_today to officially launch "The Israel Experience” Mobile Exhibition with Pastor @PaulChappell and several hundred church members.

This exhibition is an immersive, educational experience that illuminates the profound connection… pic.twitter.com/am47vjmeIt

— Israel Bachar (@IsraelBachar_) June 9, 2026

The main prayer hall, which can accommodate 2,500 people, was nearly full on the opening day of the Israeli exhibition, which includes a 180-degree video simulating a flight over Israel with quotes from the New Testament.

The exhibition also includes clips from Israeli society and seeks to emphasize the connection between Yeshua (Jesus) the Jew and the modern Jewish state.

Pastor Matt Davis, who helped produce The Israel Experience and is affiliated with the Christian pro-Israel organization Hear from Us, spoke about the importance of the project.

“Instead of keyboard warriors, we need to give an example. Israel needs the church. Many people love what they read in the Bible but have different views about Israel today. They hear all these rumors about genocide and atrocities and this is the way to guide them. Not every community wants this but we took it upon ourselves. When we announced it, we received some negative responses from community members, but I told them: 'Come see for yourselves,"” Davis said.

Davis has visited the Jewish state dozens of times and says the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack fundamentally changed Israeli society.

“I have always seen resilience among Israelis, but this time there is a sense it is existential. It’s not just about hoping to win the war. It’s about survival. But I also saw exhaustion, trauma that needs healing and pain. Our goal is to be a light, a voice and a blessing to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. We were doing this long before October 7, but those attacks woke many people in our community,” the pastor said.

Isai Gonzalez (38), who leads the Spanish-speaking congregation in the church, visited the exhibition with his wife Rachel and their four daughters Bethany, Cynthia, Priscilla and Abigail. 

“I was moved to bring knowledge about Israel. This is important because it is the foundation of our faith. It is more than just a country; it is a way to understand the Bible and why such a small country supposedly creates such a big problem,” Gonzalez added.

Gonzalez believes it is important for Christians to strengthen their ties with Israel amid growing global antisemitism.

“The girls may not understand everything deeply now but they will appreciate it later. We live in a society with antisemitism and we have new Christians in the community. New Christians tend to be more antisemitic and this is exactly the point to stop that process early. That’s why it is so important to catch them while they are young and can still be influenced.”

Rachel Bachar, the Israeli consul’s wife, was involved in the project.

She said, “I wanted to ensure all the content reflects what we wanted in terms of early Christianity, how it is connected to Israel, the land and the people and how both religions come from the same root. We wanted to show we are natural allies. There is so much misinformation about Jews and Israel and sometimes they are not taught the basics in church. We wanted to give them a strong foundation that encourages them to explore more.”