Two Orange County legislators, Sen. Steven Choi and Assemblymember Tri Ta, were among a large delegation of lawmakers from the U.S. who recently traveled to Israel.
The trip, from Sept. 13-18, was an opportunity to learn about Israel’s history and the aftermath of the terrorist attack nearly two years ago, meet with Israeli leaders and visit historical sites around the country, they said.
“My first trip to Israel was a profound experience, one that combined history, faith, tragedy, resilience and an inspiring vision for the future,” said Choi, R-Irvine.
“It was a really good experience,” said Ta, R-Westminster, who noted the visits to the sites where the Oct. 7 attack occurred were particularly emotional.
Legislators were invited by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which funded the trip, and the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest. No taxpayer money was used to fund the trip, Choi’s office said.
The five-day tour included trips to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; a visit to the site of the Nova music festival, where Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking hostage another 251 others; and an address from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a dinner with President Isaac Herzog. They also heard from Ambassador Mike Huckabee during the trip.
“Participants will gain firsthand insight into the complexities and opportunities facing Israel today through high-level meetings with Israeli decision-makers, site visits to key national and cultural landmarks in Jerusalem and beyond, and direct engagement with experts in political, social, and academic fields,” said a letter from Ambassador Marco Sermoneta, consul general of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, provided to the Oregon Legislature. “This journey offers a rare opportunity to deepen understanding, foster dialogue, and strengthen relationships between Israel and the American people—state by state.”
The delegation included 250 legislators, Democrats and Republicans, from all 50 states. According to a post from the Israeli Embassy, it was the “largest-ever delegation of American legislators” to Israel.
Other California legislators included on the trip were Sens. Marie Alvarado-Gil, R-Jackson; Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita; and Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, according to Politico.
Legislators, along with residents and youth, planted trees in Ofakim, Choi said. California’s delegation planted a eucalyptus tree.
In Tel Aviv, legislators met with entrepreneurs and learned about advancements in technology, medicine and sustainable energy. In Jerusalem, they visited the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Center.
They also visited communities devastated by the Oct. 7 attacks, meeting with those directly impacted.
“Meeting survivors and hearing their stories firsthand was heartbreaking yet inspiring, a reminder that even in tragedy, the will to rebuild persists,” Choi said, recalling yellow ribbons and photos of unreturned hostages displayed in front of burnt homes.
“It was really emotional,” said Ta. “Everything was destroyed. It was really terrible.”
We had an incredible week with 250 state legislators from all 50 states as part of the #50StatesOneIsrael delegation.
Grateful for my amazing team at the North America Division and our missions across the US — none of this would be possible without you.
pic.twitter.com/MdfAGVGIz9
— Lior Haiat
(@LiorHaiat) September 19, 2025
When asked about the current conflict in the region — Israel is drawing increasing criticism for its continued and intensifying offensive in the Gaza Strip — Ta said he wants people to understand that those “in that region, they really need peace.”
Netanyahu has maintained that Israel is continuing its war of self-defense following the 2023 attack. In his address to the bevy of legislators, he said the groups Israel has been fighting against have wanted to target the U.S. as well, but Israel is “America’s frontline here (in the Middle East).”
“We had to act. If we didn’t act, we die,” said Netanyahu. “And with us, die the … 3.5 millenia story of the Jewish people.”
But more experts, including those commissioned by the United Nations, are considering Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip to amount to a genocide. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,000 people in Gaza and wounded more than 167,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government. U.N. agencies and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
Choi said the trip was educational, meant to be an opportunity for them to “see and hear and realize … with our own eyes” the reality that Israelis face daily. He said if he visited China, it would not mean he is pro-China but rather going there “to find out what they’re advocating about.”
Choi also said the trip was particularly personal to him: As a Christian, it was important to see places where Jesus is thought to have walked, preached and been crucified.
On the last day of the trip, legislators experienced what Choi called “one final, unforgettable lesson.”
As they were preparing to depart Tel Aviv’s airport, sirens rang out. Run to the bomb shelter, they were told.
People made their way downstairs more in an “orderly fashion” rather than sprinting, Choi wrote in notes about his trip that he provided, since it was so crowded. But within less than 10 minutes, the alert was lifted, Choi said. No rockets had landed, Choi said, crediting Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
“In those tense moments, we felt the urgency of life in Israel — a nation that lives each day with the reality of war at its doorsteps,” Choi recalled.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.