Not only would the Mammoth Solar Project bring a 13,000-acre solar farm to Starke and Pulaski counties, it’s also a milestone in the Israel-U.S. relationship. That’s according to Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Gilad Erdan.
“This project, led by Doral Energy, a pioneer in solar energy, is a shining example of the tremendous mutual benefits of our cooperation, not only for the people of Israel and the United States, but for the entire world,” Erdan said during a groundbreaking ceremony at Bass Lake Thursday.
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Lisa Dan said it was the first time a sitting Israeli ambassador visited Northern Indiana.
The ambassador said Mammoth Solar “builds on a rich legacy of fruitful collaboration” between Israel and Indiana. Not only has that involved trade, but also joint military exercises with the Indiana National Guard.
Erdan also voiced his praise for Governor Eric Holcomb. “When you came to Israel this past May, only days after terrorist organizations fired thousands of rockets at our cities, you showed that you are a true friend of Israel,” he told the governor.
That also apparently extended to the governor’s response to the actions of an ice cream company. “I was very happy to hear, Governor Holcomb, that you instructed your officials to examine whether Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company Unilever – a British company, by the way – are violating Indiana law by boycotting Israel,” Erdan said. “We must never stay silent when anti-Semitic double standards are applied against the world’s only Jewish state.”
Governor Holcomb promised that Indiana will continue to look for ways to “be there” for Israel and looked forward to a bright future ahead.
