Former U.S. Representative Shelley Berkley will join the Board of Advisors of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). Berkley, a Democrat who represented Nevada’s 1st District from 1999 to 2013, had been a consistently strong supporter of U.S. national security and a closer U.S.-Israel strategic relationship.

Throughout her 14-year career in the House of Representatives (she also served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984), Berkely was one of Israel’s strongest and outspoken supporters on Capitol Hill. For example, in 2010, she supported the U.S.-Israel Iron Dome Missile Defense Support Act and in 2012 she urged the Democratic Party to add language to their platform that would acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. Berkley demonstrates a clear and acute understanding of the conflicts in the Middle East.

Representative Berkley addressed JINSA at its semiannual Board of Directors meeting in 2009 about the Congressional perspective on issues such as the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA) and the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009. During this speech she praised JINSA for having the foresight to get involved in supporting the strategic alliance between the U.S. and Israel. “It is in America’s best interest to support the most reliable ally the United States has on the planet, and this is the State of Israel,” she said during her address.

“Representative Berkley’s knowledge of Capitol Hill and her commitment to both U.S. national security and the security of Israel makes her an ideal addition to JINSA’s Board of Advisors,” said JINSA Chairman Michael Nachman.

Co-chairman of JINSA’s Board of Advisors David Justman added that, “JINSA will benefit greatly from Representative Berkley’s expertise and support and we look forward to working with her in furthering our mission.”

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