Fifteen American Christian cowboys with their wide-brimmed hats, denim shirts, tight Wrangler jeans, leather belts with large buckles, and well-worn boots have come to Israel to protect the Jewish residents of the biblical heartland – Judea and Samaria.
"We want to live for Israel; that is our goal," said 24-year-old Yosef Strain from Montanna, his voice carrying a subtle twang.
The young men, mostly in their early 20s, hail from across the South: Tenessee, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and Montana. They join other faith-driven volunteers in Israel through Hayovel. For 20 years, this organization has been bringing several hundred Christians to Israel each year to help harvest the grapes of the biblical heartland. These Evangelical Christians are usually focused on restoring Christian-Jewish relations and confirming Israel's right to their ancestral homeland.
However, after the October 7 Hamas massacre, "we understood the morbid reality that we are facing a serious enemy and the world does not recognize it," explained Hayovel Director of Operations Joshua Waller. "If we did not say yes [to helping Judea and Samaria], no one was."
Hayovel launched Operation Itai to raise $29 million for security supplies for the West Bank. So far, more than $2 million has been raised from American Christian Zionists for bullet-proof vests, helmets, night vision binoculars, drones, flashlights and more.
Itai was the non-Jewish commander of King David's 600-men army, mentioned in II Samuel, chapter 15.
"We did not set a budget," said Waller. "We asked the communities what they needed, and Operation Itai responded."
In addition, Hayovel decided to bring a group of "hardcore guys" to help install security roads, build warehouses for supplies, deliver supplies, and do 24/7 guard duty, Waller said.
These 15 cowboys were selected.
15 hand picked cowboys
"Because of their farming-can-do attitudes, we knew these would be the right guys," Waller said.
"Everyone is talking about a proportionate response," he added. "A proportionate Christian response would be to bring the supplies needed to stop another Jewish massacre from happening."
He said Gaza is only one front. Syria and Lebanon are two other fronts, and the West Bank is the fourth front.
"This is one of the most severe fronts. You have around 500,000 Jewish people scattered among 200 different communities living next to two- to three-million Palestinians, and there are no security fences between them and us," Waller added. "No one wants to say it, but these Palestinians, many of them are also involved with Hamas or another terrorist organization, and if they believe they are strong enough and Israel is weak enough, they will strike."
The cowboys stay on Har Bracha with Hayovel but work throughout the West Bank, including in the southern Hebron Hills. They participate in what they call "farm watch" – staying up all night to catch cattle and sheep thieves and terrorists.
These boys are the real deal.
"A lot of people think we are dressing up," Strain, 22, wearing a large Star of David metal belt buckle, told The Jerusalem Post. "We just have a different style and culture."
Strain, whose family farm trains horses and rides them in rodeos, said he had been to Israel three times before, and his parents were "pretty supportive."
And none of the cowboys seemed very afraid of violence.
Charles Hutsler, 19, from Huntsville, Arkansas, said he was "not scared" about being in the country during a war because "God has my back."
Ezekiel ("Zeek") Strain, 20, Yosef Strain's brother, said he believes in Israel in the promised land, specifically, the biblical heartland.
"I ain't scared of what could happen or might happen. I just want to help," he said.
"God put a special calling on my life and has given me certain talents, direct my life in a certain path, that I can do something when the time comes," added Johnny Plocher, 24. "I am not on Earth for money, a new truck or property, a vacation - that is not my purpose. I feel called here now and am glad to be here."
The cowboys stressed that they do not represent the Biden administration or liberal Americans.
"Biden does not represent these cowboys," Waller said. "Americans support Israel, including Judea and Samaria. The Biden administration believes in a two-state solution and would like to see 500,000 Jews pushed out of here, their biblical heartland.
"These cowboys represent the America behind Israel and the Bible."
He continued: "We are here to say no way to have to cut the State of Israel in half and the ability to create an Arab state in the idle of Israel's heartland. These cowboys are not going to see it."