The Initiative
About This Initiative
A different kind of conversation about Israel.
The Mission
Most public conversation about Israel is dominated by governments, politicians, lobbyists, media organizations, and advocacy groups. Those voices have their place. But they are not the only voices that matter.
YES ISRAEL MATTERS is a public-education initiative built on a simple premise: ordinary Americans have something important to say about Israel, and their voices deserve to be heard.
We asked one question — Why does Israel matter to you? — and we listened. What we heard was not a single answer. It was a hundred different answers, from a hundred different people, reflecting a hundred different reasons.
That is the conversation that matters.
Our Approach
No script
Participants are not given talking points, coached on what to say, or asked to represent any organization. They speak for themselves.
No agenda
We do not tell people why Israel should matter to them. We ask why it does. The answers are their own.
No filter
We include voices from across the political spectrum, from different faiths, backgrounds, professions, and regions. The only requirement is sincerity.
No celebrities
This is not a collection of famous people or professional advocates. These are ordinary Americans — teachers, veterans, nurses, parents, artists, entrepreneurs — speaking in their own words.
Who Participates
Participants come from every walk of American life. They include veterans and students, pastors and physicians, business owners and artists, parents and community leaders. They live in cities and small towns, in red states and blue states. Some have visited Israel. Some have family there. Some have never been. What they share is a genuine answer to a genuine question.
"Sometimes the most powerful voice is simply a human one."