Last month marked the opening of a significant visitors center in Har Bracha, a town in the Samaria region of the West Bank. This achievement was spearheaded by The Israel Guys, a Christian Zionist organization devoted to supporting the development of the Land of Israel. Over the last 20 years, they have brought over 5,000 volunteers from across 35 countries to assist in this mission.
Joshua Waller, the CEO of The Israel Guys—formerly known as HaYovel—emphasizes their mission of showcasing the progress and vitality in the biblical heartland. This stands in contrast to widespread media depictions that often highlight conflict in the area.
“We live among the local communities, witness their daily lives, and share these realities globally,” Waller shared with News Media. “Our goal is to invite thousands of people from around the world to experience this for themselves.”
Joshua Waller of The Israel Guys at work on the West Bank. (The Israel Guys)
“Many support the Jewish community yet struggle with the term ‘settler violence,’ often influenced by propaganda. Jews living in Judea and Samaria are sometimes mischaracterized as a radical threat, but by visiting the center, you’ll discover a completely different narrative,” Waller stated.
“You will see that it is a fake narrative built by the international community … it is a straight-up war against the Jewish [people],” he added.
The organization’s volunteer programs include the Heartland Experience, a 10-day trip to Israel combining touring, volunteer work and interaction with local residents; the Grape Harvest trip, a two-week program held in late summer and early fall that focuses on helping farmers with the harvest; and the Men’s Pruning trip, a two-week program in early spring focused on pruning vineyards.
Other programs include Zion Ops, a four-week program for young adults ages 18 to 30, and Day Visits, which offer two-hour visits to Har Bracha.
Volunteers working in vineyards on the West Bank are part of the Israel Guys’ program that brings volunteers to Israel. (The Israel Guys)
In 2004, Tommy Waller, Joshua Waller’s father, traveled to Israel for the first time, where he met Nir Lavi, founder of Har Bracha Winery. Lavi shared his plan to fulfill the vision of the Prophet Jeremiah: “You shall again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food” (Jeremiah 31:5).
Waller Sr. asked how he could help.
In 2007, after moving with his wife, Sherri, and their 11 children from Tennessee to Har Bracha, Waller Sr. established HaYovel, a U.S. nonprofit that provides Christian volunteers with an opportunity to work the land alongside Israeli farmers.
In 2013, the organization sought to counter anti-Israel rhetoric by launching The Joshua & Caleb Report TV show, its first dedicated pro-Israel media project, which in 2018 transitioned into a weekly podcast. Five years ago, the organization rebranded as The Israel Guys and stepped up its advocacy efforts.
“HaYovel” volunteers from its international program work in the vineyards of Shiloh in Samaria help to pick grapes on the West Bank. (Hillel Maeir/TPS-IL)
The Israel Guys currently counts more than 20 team members and, since its founding, has helped develop some 120 farms. Volunteers who come to Judea and Samaria work alongside local farmers, planting trees, erecting fences, harvesting crops and assisting with infrastructure projects.
In the aftermath of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis, The Israel Guys launched Operation Ittai and raised $3.85 million to provide tactical supplies to communities in the area and strengthen their defenses against possible terrorist attacks.
Anti-Israel activists protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on April 7, 2025. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The group went viral at the time after bringing American cowboys to Israel to help farmers whose workers had been called up as reservists.
Addressing media coverage of recent incidents involving Christians in Israel, Waller said the narrative that they are no longer welcome in the country is false.
Josh Waller works the field in the West Bank, also known by its biblical names Judea and Samaria. (The Israel Guys)
“People put a lot of money into trying to make it seem as though Christians would somehow be better off living in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan or other Arab countries surrounding Israel. Factually, that is completely wrong,” he told News Media.
“I know Christians living in those places, and I even know Christians living in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and they suffer immensely. The fact is that Israel is the safest place for Christians in the entire Middle East. It is the only place where the Christian population is growing,” he added.
Volunteers, Waller explained, have come from a wide range of Christian denominations, including Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Mormons, Amish and Mennonites.
The new center will include programs to support Israeli farmers, lectures on Israel and Zionism and be a place for communal meals. (The Israel Guys)
He emphasized that Israel is a partner for peace and urged nations to align themselves with biblical values, which he said could pave the way for “some incredible days ahead.”
If antisemitism leads to efforts to destroy Israel, he added, “that’s not an option,” saying Israel would have to fight that war while The Israel Guys would continue to “help on the information side.”
“The Bible says that this land that was desolate will become like the Garden of Eden. We are literally seeing it happen. It’s beautiful to see volunteers participate in the fulfillment of that prophecy and witness the ancient words of the Bible come back to life,” Waller said.