In his first six years in the Senate, Jon Tester (D-Mont.) never reported taking a single trip sponsored by private interests but he made his first one memorable.
Last week, he reported his first trip, and a fairly momentous one at that. Tester, along with his wife Sharla and aide Jorge Rueda, traveled to Israel from Nov. 21-27, coincidentally just as the United States signed a nuclear deal with Iran.
Tester met one-on-one with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was furious that the U.S. and its allies announced the signing of the Joint Plan of Action with Tehran. Tester, who is supportive of the deal, reassured Netanyahu that he would back additional forms of pressure if Iran breaks the deal.
The senator also toured historic, religious and strategic sites across the nation, including the Gazan, Lebanese and Syrian borders, which have witnessed rocket attacks and other violence in recent years.
The $37,500 trip for the three travelers was sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit wing of AIPAC. AIEF sponsors trips for members of Congress and their staffers to help strengthen pro-Israeli policy in Washington. Since 2000, the AIEF has sponsored more than 871 trips to the Holy Land.
