Long known as one of the chief advocates for rural Nevada, Elko Assemblyman John Ellison adds another semiofficial title to his record of legislative achievement chief sponsor of the Nevada/Israel partnership resolution.
Scheduled to be read and adopted in February, Ellison began working of the legislation last summer.
“I have always been a great admirer of the state of Israel,” the Assemblyman said. “And I felt it was time that we say so in the legislature.”
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Nevada and Nevadans have always been strong supporters of Israel going back to before the founding of the state in the 1940’s, when several Las Vegas casino magnates helped organized arm shipments the beleaguered country in defiance of an international embargo.
Later under then Governor Michael O’Callaghan the silver State established deep ties in the areas of agriculture and science in the 1970’s and 80’s. After leaving office O’Callaghan was one of a founder of a program where American volunteers work at Israeli army bases.
This summer current Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval will make his first visit to the Jewish state to renew ties.
But while support for Israel has always been strong in Nevada the leaders of that support have often come from Las Vegas in the south or Reno in the west that is until John Ellison.
The walls of Ellison’s office are covered in photos and plaques from various US military units in thanks for the help he has given over the years.
His newest and most unique addition will be a battle pennant from Haruv Battalion of the Israeli Army.
The pennant which features the Battalion’s logo and name in Hebrew was presented last summer by Arieh Copelan a member of the battalion and a constituent of Ellison in thanks for the Assemblyman’s efforts in sending multi-tools to his brothers in arms.
The donation was organized Ellison and Advocate publisher Howard Copelan, whose son Arieh completed the grueling 7 month long basic training course and is now serving on the front lines with the Haruv Battalion.
“When Arieh graduated this February he asked for a multi-tool,” Howard Copelan explained. “His platoon weapon is the Negev, the light machine gun of the Israeli infantry and cleaning it with just a screw driver can be tedious. Multi tools are almost impossible to find in Israel so we got him the best on we could find and he loved it. The only thing is the rest of his platoon all wanted one. But 35 multi tools at $85 a head is a little beyond our budget. When we got home I thought about doing a fund raiser for them and called my friend Assemblyman John Ellison for some pointers. He took the ball ran with it and scored a touchdown.”
The Nevada assemblyman and former Elko County Commissioner and Elko City Councilman Ellison made the project his own and in less than two weeks found the equipment and the funding to bring the multi-tools to the battalion.
“The Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Jack and Marcy Simon are the real heroes in this story,” Ellison said. “Everyone who knows me knows that I am a firm and fervent supporter of Israel and its soldiers and I am proud that there is one young man from Elko County who is serving there.”
Arieh is the third child of the Copelan family to serve in the IDF. Older sister Anna was in the IDF Spokesman office and older brother Chalom was an officer also in Haruv Battalion and is now in the reserves.
“I like to tell my colleagues from Las Vegas that per capita I have more constituents in the Israel Army than they do,” Ellison laughed. “They don’t believe it at first but it’s true.”
According to the IDF website every year between 500 to 1,000 young men and women the vast majority from North America volunteer to serve in the IDF which is the only foreign army an American can in serve without fear of losing his or her citizenship.
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