Senator aims to build bridges to Israel

My View Craig Brandt (Published in The Santa Fe New Mexican)

By Craig Brandt

May 22, 2026

In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, something changed for me.

As a longtime Rio Rancho pastor and legislator, I had long viewed Israel as an important American ally and the Jewish people as central to biblical history. But, after witnessing the surge of antisemitism or what I describe plainly as “Jew hatred” following the attacks, I felt compelled to act.

That calling ultimately led me to create the Friends of Israel Project, a Rio Rancho-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting Israel, combating antisemitism and fostering stronger relationships between Jewish and non-Jewish communities through education, advocacy and dialogue.

My organization’s mission centers on “building bridges of understanding and respect,” while standing firmly against antisemitism and defending Israel’s right to exist and defend itself.

The effort is deeply personal.

“On October 7th, my heart was broken,” I wrote in the organization’s founding story. “God asked me why I was ignoring His people.”

During the 2024 legislative session, I also attempted to introduce a Senate memorial condemning the Hamas attacks but was told the measure would never receive a hearing. Rather than remain silent, I began speaking regularly on the Senate floor about Israel, Jewish history and what is a growing normalization of Jew hatred disguised as anti-Israel activism.

That effort expanded after I traveled to Israel in late 2024 on a diplomatic trip hosted by the Israeli Consulate. During the visit, I toured communities devastated during the attacks, including Kibbutz Nir Oz and the Nova music festival grounds.

Seeing the aftermath firsthand transformed Israel from a political issue into a human one for me.

While in Israel, several Israelis told me the United States remained Israel’s only true friend. That sentiment became one of the inspirations behind the nonprofit’s name and mission.

Since returning home, I have worked with legislative colleagues to help form the New Mexico Friends of Israel Caucus and support legislation addressing antisemitism in New Mexico.

The Friends of Israel Project has already begun hosting educational and outreach events across the state. Earlier this year, the organization helped host a Jewish Community Day at the New Mexico Roundhouse, featuring more than 20 Jewish organizations and community groups celebrating Jewish heritage, music, culture and history.

The night before the Inaugural Jewish Community Day, I hosted a dinner at the Santa Fe Jewish Center Chabad with Rabbi Berel Levertov.

A young speaker and survivor of the Nova Festival massacre spoke to an entranced crowd. Shoham Cohen lost many friends that fateful day. Now, Cohen is traveling the world speaking on his experience so others can understand the atrocities committed by Hamas and complicit Palestinians.

This advocacy work also is linked to Holocaust remembrance and historical education, emphasizing that remembering the Holocaust is not simply about honoring the past but recognizing how quickly hatred can spread when societies become silent.

Ultimately, this mission is moral rather than political.

For Rio Rancho, the organization represents a locally founded grassroots effort addressing an international issue through education, relationship-building and public advocacy with the goal of ensuring Jewish communities within the United States and Israel know they are not standing alone.

The Friends of Israel Project will have a table at the New Mexico State Fair this summer and invites interested volunteers to sign up and join them at the booth. The group is planning a trip to Israel in 2027 and hopes the increased interest in Israel will encourage others to join this group and their trip next year.