At a Southern California megachurch in Lancaster, Israel’s consulate in Los Angeles launches ‘The Israel Experience’, a mobile exhibition for rural evangelical communities, mixing Bible messaging with VR of Oct 7 attacks Daniel Edelson, Los Angeles|An hour and a half drive north of Los Angeles, on a day when the roads are forgiving, a parallel Californian universe opens up. The Hollywood Walk of Fame disappears in the rearview mirror, the slender coastal palm trees are replaced by yellowish hills, massive gas stations, arid desert and the dust of American towns that feel light years away from the world’s entertainment and progressive capital.At the entrance to Lancaster, instead of the famous Hollywood sign, we are greeted by a stack of “Zim” shipping containers. Welcome to “purple” California, where Kamala Harris narrowly scraped a victory by just 5,000 votes. This is an entirely different area code: distant suburbs, military bases, megachurches, Stars and Stripes flags waving in front yards, and devout Christian communities that know Israel through biblical verses long before they ever saw it on screens.8 View gallery An hour and a half drive north of Los Angeles, on a day when the roads are forgiving, a parallel Californian universe opens up (Photo: Daniel Adelson)It is precisely here that Israel Bachar, the Israeli consul general in Los Angeles, chose to launch what he calls the “flagship project” of his tenure, just before it ends: The Israel Experience. A mobile, expensive, highly produced and distinctly American exhibition designed to bring Israel to churches rather than wait for churches to come to Israel.“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 says. “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.”“On the contrary, 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.”8 View gallery Israel Bachar, the Israeli consul general in Los Angeles, chose to launch what he calls the “flagship project” of his tenure, just before it ends: The Israel Experience (Photo: Daniel Adelson)According to him, this is not another hasbara event in a Jewish hotel in Beverly Hills, nor a panel at a university in front of an audience that already knows the right language. This time the goal is to go into the field, to places where support for Israel still exists but is no longer a given.Lancaster Baptist Church, where the initiative opened, is one of the largest in Southern California. An independent conservative church aligned with independent fundamentalist Baptist currents, with thousands of participants, educational institutions, its own religious college and a strong standing in the conservative Christian world. Pastor Paul Chappell arrived in 1986 when the community was still small and struggling and built it into a local religious empire.On the opening day of the exhibition, the main prayer hall is almost full, with around 2,500 people. This is a fairly conservative community but also more diverse than stereotypes about “white evangelical southerners” might suggest. Among the seats are mixed couples, Hispanic families, Black worshippers, children in formal clothing and elderly attendees holding thick Bibles. The church also has a full Spanish-speaking congregation and its own pastor.8 View gallery On the opening day of the exhibition, the main prayer hall is almost full, with around 2,500 people (Photo: Daniel Adelson)Still, the message is clear: in the sermon, the pastor condemns Pride Month and the parade held that same day in Los Angeles, calling it “not the ways of God,” even as many churches across LA display colorful Pride signs reading “God loves everyone.”A few minutes later, the congregation prays for Israel, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for American leaders who will stand with “our greatest ally.” Bachar takes the stage and smiles as he notes that his first name, Israel, is identical to the country he represents.The bond with Christian supporters of Israel has always carried a delicate complexity. Their support is warm and moving: prayers for the peace of Jerusalem, fervent belief in the “chosen people” and a view of Israel as the living fulfillment of scripture. But unlike the Jewish connection, this love is often rooted in Christian theology and a redemptive vision that can be uncomfortable for Jewish ears. It does not diminish the depth of the alliance but helps explain why it evokes both gratitude and unease among many Israel is.But in Lancaster this weekend at least, the discomfort fully dissipates. The pastor asks attendees to stand at the entrance to the exhibition and they all rise almost at once, in perfect American silence, lining up as if for the grand opening of a Kardashian store.The first station is a 180-degree video simulating a flight over Israel combined with New Testament quotes. Jad Davis, 18, the son of one of the pastors, led the drone filming for the video. In January he traveled to Israel for 12 days with his father Matt and his brother Noah, filming sites Christians know from scripture but many have never seen with their own eyes: the Sea of Galilee, the Western Wall, Mount Sodom, the Galilee, the desert and Bethlehem.8 View gallery The crowd flows, children ask questions, adults take photos and the central message repeats again and again (Photo: Daniel Adelson)The next station presents interview clips with representatives of Israeli society selected specifically for a Christian audience: a spokesperson for the Jewish community in Hebron, residents of the Golan Heights, people from the City of David and a Christian Arab from Nazareth. The team stresses that the aim is not to present “Israel as marketed by the tourism ministry” but a version of Israel reframed in a faith-based language: the Bible, roots and above all an attempt to connect the Jewish Jesus with the modern Jewish state.Another station simulates prayer at the Western Wall. Postcards are handed out and bookmarks with quotes about the Land of Israel and the Jewish people are placed nearby. Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, pro-Israel boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed and has since become a near-sacred icon in parts of the American right. His bookmarks are the first to be taken.8 View gallery Another station simulates prayer at the Western Wall (Photo: Daniel Adelson)There we meet eight-year-old Leo, who came with his grandmother Lilly Tapia. At the mock Western Wall he makes a wish: a house in Ireland. To make sure God hears, he sings a Hanukkah song he learned at church. “I’ve been waiting a long time to show him what Israel looks like,” Lilly says. Her husband, joining in the humming of the song, says he has never been to Israel. “But I worked with many Jews and they changed and improved my life,” he says. “What my community learned today, I already knew a long time ago, but it’s important because Israel is the Bible and it’s a privilege to see it presented like this. People get negative opinions from the news and don’t know, even though it is the homeland of Jesus. It’s like people hear I’m from Mexico and think everyone there lives among cacti. It’s simply wrong.”Pastor Matt Davis from the organization “Hear from Us,” which produced the project (and is also Jad’s father), calls it “the eighth front of Hasbara.” In his words, “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 has visited Israel dozens of times. For his son Jad, however, the January trip was the first. “We tried to bring Jad to Israel three times,” Matt says. “The first time it was canceled because of COVID. The second time we had a trip scheduled for October 8, the day after October 7, and it was of course postponed. Then there was a trip planned for March and because of the war we postponed it. In the end it was a work trip to produce the exhibition. I told him: Jad, this is the Dead Sea, this is the Western Wall, but not for you this time. You’re coming to work.”The difference between Israel before October 7 and after it, Matt says, was impossible to miss. “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.”8 View gallery The difference between Israel before October 7 and after it, Matt says, was impossible to miss (Photo: Daniel Adelson)The VR station on October 7 is open only to visitors aged 15 and over. Participants put on virtual reality headsets and witness the aftermath of the attack. They emerge in silence. Tony Sandelli, 68, from Lancaster, came with her grandson Achilles, 17. “I knew about these things, I had heard and seen the horrors, but for my grandson it is the first time,” she says. “Many people do not believe it happened. Even my son told me: they always panic and say they are being attacked. And I explain to him that this was different. Young people do not watch television, they get their information from social media and it is distorted. Even it affects me. That’s why this is very important.” Achilles nods vigorously: “For me it is really eye-opening. All I want is to pray for them, because we are all children of God.”8 View gallery The VR station on October 7 is open only to visitors aged 15 and over (Photo: Daniel Adelson)Not everything works perfectly at the launch. Barcodes do not scan, the wind threatens to topple tents, some guides are not fully familiar with the material and some participants start from the end instead of the beginning. There are moments when the exhibition itself seems to be learning how to be an exhibition. But as the hours pass, the teething problems fade. The crowd flows, children ask questions, adults take photos and the central message repeats again and again: Israel is not only a state in scripture, on feeds or on news screens, but a living, diverse and complex community of Jews and Christians carrying biblical history through to the trauma of October 7.Isai Gonzalez, 38, works at the church and leads its Spanish-speaking congregation. He arrived with his wife Rachel and their four daughters: Bethany, 12, Cynthia, 10, Priscilla, 8 and Abigail, 6. “We did not know the details of what happened,” he says. “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.”Isn’t this a bit intense for a Sunday family outing?“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.”Indeed, one of the booths in the exhibition is dedicated entirely to children, with Bible-themed games and a highlight: a height chart showing the real height of Goliath. It is not necessarily what the poet intended, but perhaps the most accurate image of the day: Israel has always been a battlefield.The Foreign Ministry invested around 6 million shekels in the project. It also includes a dedicated website providing additional information for American audiences and an educational syllabus to be used in pastor training. From here the exhibition is expected to continue to Arizona and Nevada and later to around 80 additional locations, including some currently less Israel-friendly sites such as the UCLA campus.8 View gallery Bachar and the consulate team worked on the project for over a year (Photo: Daniel Adelson)Bachar and the consulate team worked on the project for over a year. “We invested a lot of effort, a lot of money and are excited to finally launch,” he says. His wife Rachel Bachar was involved in the content itself. Born into a Korean American family, the two met while studying at New York University (NYU). “Israel asked me to use my knowledge and background about the American audience and the Christian audience,” she says. “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.”What is it like working together as a couple?“It is a project Israel was very passionate about so I was happy he asked me to help. He had his views and I respected them, but we also had clear boundaries and I stayed focused. I think the results speak for themselves.”The vast parking lot of Lancaster Baptist Church slowly empties of hundreds of cars. The Californian sun sets, painting the skies of the Antelope Valley desert in deep shades of orange, red and purple. It is hard not to reflect on the gap between the almost sterile calm of this all-American valley and the harsh images, gunfire and smells that visitors encountered shortly before through virtual reality headsets.But what remains in the end is not the technology, the rhetoric or the money. It is the Gonzalez family: a Hispanic pastor, his wife and their four young daughters, spending their day of rest shedding tears for “Jewish brothers” they have never met in a country they have never visited. Despite cynicism, international isolation and unrelenting bad news from a burning Middle East, Israel is still not alone.