On a recent Thursday evening, Leah and Reuven Escott hosted a NORPAC pro-Israel event in support of Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) at their home in Bergenfield, New Jersey.

Senator Tester is a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which decides on the allocation of government funds, including those to Israel. Tester is also a member of the Banking Committee, which oversees sanctions legislation as well as BDS-related bills. He is a co-sponsor of the Combating BDS Act of 2017, which protects states that divest from pro-BDS companies from being sued.

In 2016, Senator Tester, along with Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced S. Res. 383, bipartisan legislation to recognize the economic accomplishments of the U.S.-Israel economic partnership and support new agreements for collaboration across a variety of sectors within the technology sphere.

When asked during the event what could be done to keep the US-Israel relationship bipartisan in this highly polarized political climate, the Senator answered that pro-Israel advocates “need to keep visiting and educating members of Congress on Capitol Hill.”

Jon Tester is currently serving his second term in the U.S. Senate and will be running for re-election this year. His primary election will be held in June.