(The Center Square) – Israeli Consul General to the Pacific Southwest Israel Bachar will be addressing the Arizona State Legislature on Wednesday.
Bachar is expected to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas War in the joint protocol session, according to a news release. The Israeli-born diplomat is part of the Consulate General in Los Angeles who also operates a consulting firm.
The scheduled speech comes after 17 lawmakers in the House visited the Middle Eastern nation earlier this month. At the event, the legislature will also tout House Concurrent Resolution 2009, which affirmed the legislature’s support for Israel following the attack by Hamas on the country on Oct. 7.
The proclamation states that Israel has a “right to defend itself.”
“The State of Arizona and Israel share spiritual, economic and social ties and values that bind our societies together. Since 1948, the two countries have enjoyed a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship, which grows stronger with each passing year, and Arizona has established a trade office in Israel,” the resolution states.
HCR 2009 also addresses possible risks to the Jewish community in Phoenix as the war continues abroad.
“Jewish communities, including those in Arizona, are facing staggering rises in antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and adopted by the State of Arizona and the United States Department of State, including the contemporary examples of antisemitism,” it states.
The Center Square reported in October that the Phoenix Police Department increased security at synagogues in the city over the possible risk of anti-semitic acts. A Brandeis University report estimates that there are 115,000 “Jewish adults” in Arizona, many of whom live in the Phoenix or Tucson area.
