SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 6, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox hosted Israel Bachar, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday.
Cox and Bachar discussed Utah-Israeli relations, including the trade mission to Israel last year, economic and diplomatic ties, and the conflict in the Middle East, according to a statement released by Cox’s office.
“Our state has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Israel and our hearts ache to see the region now engulfed in conflict,” Cox said. “We continue to condemn the unspeakable horror unleashed by Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. We stand with our Jewish community by insisting that there is absolutely no place for anti-semitism in our state or anywhere in the world.
“We mourn both the Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives since the outbreak of the violence, and we pray for a quick resolution of the conflict.”
Utah and Israel have a long history of economic and diplomatic relations, the statement says. Total trade volume between Israel and Utah exceeded $170 million in 2022, with many of the traded items supplying our state’s targeted industries. In addition, Utah water experts visited Israel in March to learn from Israel’s water-conserving innovation.
