It was the summer of 2004 and Tommy Waller—a farmer from Tennessee—found himself standing in a vineyard on the rugged mountains of Samaria. The vineyard was owned by Nir Lavi, and he wasn’t your typical vintner. A world traveler who grew up surfing and backpacking his way around the globe, Nir had now become one of the very first pioneers to venture up into the mountains of central Israel and re-plant the vineyards that once flourished in the area some 2,000 years ago.
Nir took Tommy to the edge of his fledgling vineyard and opened his Bible to Jeremiah 31:5: “You shall again plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, the planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.”
Tommy was overwhelmed. He was standing in a vineyard on the mountains of Samaria, planted by a Jewish man, exactly as the Prophet Jeremiah prophesied three thousand years before! He realized that he was looking at modern-day prophecy in action. In a moment of awe, he turned to Nir and asked, “What can we do to help?”
Our pruning trips in the spring and harvest trips in the autumn quickly grew into our flagship programs. Christians from around the world began flying to Israel, eager to stand with the Jewish people and support their return to their homeland in practical, hands-on ways. Over the years, our volunteers have helped more than fifty small farms in Judea and Samaria get established and thrive.
Throughout our early years serving in Israel, we quickly became aware of the anti-Israel rhetoric and misinformation that is published about Israel from both mainstream news outlets and independent pundits alike.
In 2013, we decided to do something about it. That year, we launched The Joshua & Caleb Report, our first pro-Israel media project. Each episode featured the story of one of Israel’s pioneers, heroes, or courageous families who have returned to the land of their forefathers. Four seasons of the TV show were released on Christian television networks around the world between 2013 and 2018, totaling 32 half-hour episodes.
We started our first weekly Joshua & Caleb Report audio-only podcast show in October 2018.
In November 2019, we launched a new companion website and newsletter called The Heartland Report, where we published a free article every Friday afternoon covering current events in Israel from a biblical, faith-based perspective.
Just a few months later, our on-the-ground volunteer programs came to a sudden halt with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. What we thought might be a short interruption stretched into more than two years before Israel’s borders finally reopened to international travelers.
Even so, much of our team remained in Israel throughout the pandemic. With limited manpower, we pressed forward and launched a new volunteer initiative in 2020: The Greening Israel Project. Partnering with forestry experts in both Israel and the United States, we began researching which tree species are native to the Levant and how they respond to the local soil and climate. By late 2020 and early 2021, we were planting our first large-scale forestry sites with thousands of trees—an effort aimed at reversing erosion and desertification in Judea and Samaria while helping native flora and fauna thrive again.
At the same time, we expanded our pro-Israel media efforts. We invested in professional-grade equipment, built our first studio in Har Bracha, and in October 2020 launched a video version of the Joshua & Caleb Report podcast. Alongside studio episodes, we began producing on-location “adventure shows” to give viewers an unfiltered look at life in Judea and Samaria.
In March 2021, we had our first viral adventure show: our on-location visit to Rawabi and Turmus Ayya, where we interviewed a Palestinian mayor and brought viewers a perspective rarely seen in mainstream media.
When The Israel Guys officially launched on August 11, 2021, we were just getting started. Our YouTube channel only had around 33,000 subscribers (click here to watch the launch video), but our vision was big. In the years since, the channel has grown by leaps and bounds—reaching several hundred thousand subscribers and tens of millions of views worldwide. That growth prepared us for the moment when Israel would need help the most.
Since war broke out on October 7, 2023, the people of Israel have faced dark and challenging times. Our team has been on the ground from the beginning—continuing to provide support to small farms, encouragement to the Jewish people who are defending their homeland, and working tirelessly to push back against the flood of misinformation and lies spreading online.
In the first months of the war, we launched a massive fundraising campaign called Operation Ittai, providing vital security equipment—flashlights, protective vests, and surveillance cameras—to small, vulnerable communities across Israel to help prevent another tragedy like October 7th.
In January 2025, we were humbled to receive the Voices of Iron Award from Israel’s Knesset, recognizing our ongoing advocacy and unwavering support for Israel since the start of the war.
The story doesn't end here! We’d love for you to join us in writing the next chapter by becoming a monthly donor. Your support fuels not only The Israel Guys show online but also our boots-on-the-ground work throughout Israel.
Everything you’ve just read has only been possible because of the faithful partnership of friends and supporters from around the world. We could never have done it alone, and we are deeply grateful. By joining our community of monthly donors, you’ll help strengthen Israel and also receive special opportunities—like live video calls with our team, exclusive behind-the-scenes updates, and more.
