‘Gut-wrenching’: Sen. Rosen returns from trip to Israel

By Jessica Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal

1 year ago

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., speaks at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. ( ... — Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., speaks at a press conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Credit is to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.)

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., visits Israel the weekend of Oct. 14, 2023. (Credit is to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.)

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., has a meeting with fellow senators and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. (Credit is to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.)

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., poses for a photo with fellow senators and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Credit is to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.)

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., poses for a photo with her fellow senators and Israeli President Isaac Herzog the weekend of Oct. 14, 2023. (Credit is to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.)

Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen returned Monday from a weekend trip to Israel following Hamas’ terrorist attack that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and thousands injured, the Democrat’s office announced.

Rosen — the only Jewish woman in the Senate and the co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism and the Abraham Accords caucus — was part of a bipartisan Senate coalition that visited Israel.

The coalition included Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Mark Kelly of Arizona and Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah.

Rosen met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s War Cabinet, President Isaac Herzog, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and families whose loved ones were taken hostage, according to her office.

The senator, who was not immediately available for an interview, said in the statement that the delegation visited to reaffirm the “strong, unwavering, and unconditional support from both sides of the aisle in the United States.”

She said she is committed to passing an aid package that gets Israel the resources it needs to defend its citizens.

“I’ll never forget this visit, and the conversations I had with the families of hostages taken by terrorists will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Rosen said in the statement. “As the only Jewish mother serving in the Senate, hearing their stories, and seeing their pain and heartbreak was gut-wrenching.”

This story has been updated to reflect the latest total for the number of Israelis killed in the attack.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com.