Dr. John Fleming. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

JNS.org – A senior former official in the administration of US President Donald Trump visited Samaria on Thursday to explore business opportunities.

Dr. John Fleming spent the day in the Binyamin region just north of Jerusalem. Fleming and his wife, Cindy, are being hosted on their visit to the Jewish state by the Yes! Israel Project, which works to strengthen the US-Israel partnership.

“The goal of my trip is multifaceted. I have a love for Israel and the advancements Israel has made. I am very impressed with the leadership Israel is demonstrating, particularly in high-tech and other advanced technologies,” Fleming said during his visit to Binyamin.

Fleming, a Republican who represented Louisiana’s 4th congressional from January 2009 to January 2017, served in various capacities in the Trump administration.

When Trump took office, Fleming became deputy assistant secretary in the US Department of Health and Human Services overseeing technology modernization efforts. He then took the role of US assistant secretary of commerce for economic development from March 2019 to March 2020. In Trump’s final year in office, Fleming moved to the West Wing of the White House where he served as assistant to the president for planning and implementation.

He functioned as deputy chief of staff, handling daily activities not managed by then-chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Fleming is currently running for the office of Louisiana state treasurer.

“As I’m running for treasurer in Louisiana, a state that is suffering from economic decline, I would really love to see an alliance and collaboration between Israel and Louisiana. I see that as a win-win for both sides,” Fleming explained.

So far, two other candidates are in the race for treasurer.

Ruth Jaffe Lieberman, co-founder of the Yes! Israel Project, said that if elected, Fleming will look to increase business ties with Israel.

“He is using this trip as an opportunity to meet with private entrepreneurs and government leadership, including the prime minister, and those on the ground developing the technologies, in order to identify the investments which will benefit both Americans and Israelis alike,” Lieberman said.

Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz said: “It was a pleasure welcoming my good friend Dr. John Fleming to the Binyamin region. Today was about forming friendships and economic strategic partnerships between Louisiana and the entrepreneurs who live in this beautiful part of Israel.”

“I am confident that we succeeded in laying the foundation for many wonderful ventures, which I know will take off in the near future,” Gantz added.