Florida Jewish History
Trade & Population Statistics
Binational Foundation Grants
Bilateral Institutions
Fighting BDS
Cooperative Agreements
Government Missions to Israel
Partners for Change
Other Cooperative Programs
Sister Cities & State Contacts

Trade and Population Statistics

Exports to Israel (2024)	$591,827,071
Percentage Change (2023-2024)	28.68%
Total Exports to Israel (1996-Present)	$6,984,901,572
Israel’s Trade Partner Rank (2024)	32
Florida’s Rank as Exporter to Israel (2024)	5
Military Contracts with Israel (2015)	$66,906,218
Jewish Population (2024)	753,865
Jewish Percentage of Population	3.33%

Binational Foundation Grants

BARD - Agricultural Research & Development (1979-Present)	$8,195,155
BSF - Science & Technology (1999-Present)	$2,012,615
BIRD - Industrial Research & Development (1977-Present)	$2,659,535
Total Binational Grants	$12,867,305

Grant Recipients in Florida from U.S.-Israel Binational Foundations

Agricultural Research Center, Gainesville
Agricultural Research Service, Orlando
Agricultural Research Service, Winter Haven
Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Boston Whaler, Inc.
CentralSquare Technologies
Computer Products Inc.
ECI Telecom Inc.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Encore Computer Corp.
Enhanced Vision Systems
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida Medical Entomology Lab
Florida State University
Gen Mill Rest Group
Harris Corp. / Semiconductor Sector
Health Professions Conferencing Corporation
I.T.E. Inc.
Mayo Clinic and Foundation
Mote Marine Lab & Aquarium
Mt. Sinai Medical Center Greater Miami

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Pharmos Corp.
Plant Food Systems Inc.
Plastigone Technologies Racal-Datacom Inc.
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research InstituteSensormatic Electronics Corp.
Telematics International Inc.
US Geological Survey
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of Florida Medical Entomology Lab
University of Florida Medical School
University of Miami
University of Miami Medical School
University of South Florida
University of Tampa
USDA Crop Genetics & Environmental Lab
USDA Horticultural Research Lab
USDA Insect Attractants Research Lab
USDA S. Atlantic Area Medical & Veterinary Entomology
USDA Subtropical Horticulture Research
US Geological Survey
WATSCO, Inc.

Bilateral Institutions

America-Israel Chamber Florida Chapter - Established in 1993 by a group of Florida industrialists, entrepreneurs, and business professionals, the Florida Chapter of the AIC sponsors events and offers networking opportunities that promote and enhance business-to-business connections between Florida and Israel and Israel and Florida. The Chamber helps promote trade and joint business ventures between Israel and Florida. The Chamber has assisted with the relocation and recruitment of many major companies to establish businesses in Florida as well as in Israel. The Chambers’ network is designed to connect companies in all industries.

Florida-Israel Business Forum - The FIBF was incorporated in 2008 as a private, nonprofit, non-governmental economic development organization whose mission is to actively promote bilateral trade, commerce, and economic relations between Florida and Israel. FIBF provides companies with business-matching solutions tailored to their needs and gives them access to suitable partners and collaborators in both Israel and Florida.

Florida-Israel Institute (FII) - FII is a public organization created by the Florida legislature and jointly administered by Florida Atlantic University and Broward College. Its primary purpose is to promote the development of enhanced governmental, economic, technological, cultural, educational, and social ties between the State of Florida and the State of Israel. This mission is achieved through the formation of cooperative initiatives in research, academic development, student and faculty exchange, cultural exchange, and technical assistance between FAU, BC, and Israeli institutions of higher learning, as well as private-sector commercial endeavors.

Fighting BDS

Florida’s State Legislature passed SB-86 on February 24, 2016, with bipartisan support, sending a message that they benefit from their relations with Israel and do not support the BDS movement, companies associated with it, or its agenda. In early March, the Florida Senate passed an adjusted version of the bill calling for the repeal of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “West Bank country of origin marking requirements,” which prevent West Bank products from being labeled as “Made in Israel.”

On March 10, 2016, the Florida House of Representatives passed HB 527, directing the State Board of Administration to create a list of companies that engage in boycotts of Israel and instructing all government entities to divest from companies on the list. On the same day, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed SB 86.

Scott signed HB-545 into law in a ceremony at the Orlando Torah Academy on March 30, 2018. The anti-BDS bill prevents companies that engage in boycotts of Israel from bidding on local or state government contracts.

Cooperative Agreements

In March 2011, as part of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s mission to Israel, the Florida Hospital and the Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer in Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding for international collaboration and strategic relations. Working together, Sheba Medical Center and the eight campuses of the Florida Hospital will leverage their unique strengths, experience, and perspectives to deliver and improve patient care in both their respective communities and internationally. Among the many areas of collaboration are robotic surgical training, medical simulation, and stem cell transplant.

In December 1987, the Florida-Israel Cooperative Venture (FICV) was established to foster cooperation in areas of mutual benefit, including tourism, trade, and investment, as well as the advancement of technologies. In August 1989, an Agreement of Cooperation was signed by Gov. Bob Martinez to reinforce the FICV.

Florida Government Missions to Israel

April 2023 - Governor Ron DeSantis visited Israel as part of an international trade mission, calling it one of the most valued and trusted allies of the United States. While there, he signed legislation to provide law enforcement agencies with new enforcement mechanisms to punish perpetrators of antisemitic incidents and those who target religious communities. DeSantis also signed a proclamation to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Israel’s independence.

2019 - Governor Ron DeSantis visited Israel with a trade mission and held a cabinet meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Speaking about the trip when he returned to Israel in 2023, he said, We signed our legislation to combat anti-Semitism. We visited the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. We even held a public event at Ariel University.

January 2018 - New College of Florida President Donal O’Shea visited Israel in January 2018 to tour Israeli universities and learn from their curriculum, techniques, and procedures. He was joined by other University and College Presidents from California State University, Northridge, Hunter College, Georgia State University, San Jose State University, and Wake Forest University. The group held working meetings with administrators from Bar Ilan University, Ono Academic College, Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, and the University of Haifa.

February 2013 - Senator Marco Rubio (FL-R) traveled to Israel as part of a larger Middle East trip and met with Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. While in Israel, Sen. Rubio told Peres that Jerusalem is “of course the capital of your country.”

December 2011 - Governor Rick Scott led a five-day trade mission to Israel with more than 30 senior Florida business and government leaders to further strengthen the mutually beneficial business and cultural ties between Florida and Israel. During the trip, Gov. Scott met with top Israeli business and government leaders in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Beersheba, who are interested in expanding their business to Florida. “I call on Israelis to come and do business with us,” Gov. Scott said during a panel discussion called “Business Opportunities in Florida’s Global Economy” at the Globes Israel Business Conference in Tel Aviv.

The governor emphasized the range and diversity of industries and, thus, business opportunities in Florida. “When you do business in Florida, you get two for the price of one: access to U.S. markets, but equally access to rapidly growing markets in South and Central America. If we were an independent country, we’d be number 22 in terms of business activity,” he said. In particular, Gov. Scott emphasized the agriculture, aerodynamics, aerospace, and life sciences industries of Florida, the last of which is one of the state’s growing industries.

November 2011 - Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez traveled to Israel with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and four other major U.S. city mayors as part of Project Interchange, an AJC-run educational institute. Gimenez expressed his appreciation to the AJC for the opportunity to learn about Israel, as it is very important to a large proportion of his constituents since his county is one of the largest Jewish areas of the U.S.

August 2011 - Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Congressmen Steve Southerland and Allen West accompanied the 81-member congressional delegation to Israel to learn more about regional politics and the U.S.-Israel relationship.

March 2011 - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and members of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission led a trade and business development mission to Israel. The goal of the trip was to encourage Israeli healthcare companies to participate in the medical city at Lake Nona as well as to sign collaborative agreements with medical institutions in Israel for cooperative research with Florida. The mayor also met with Israel Aerospace Industries to see how they could help companies in the Metro Orlando area as well as with Solel, Israel’s leading solar thermal energy company.

October 2010 - Representative Maria Sachs (D-FL) led a delegation to Israel to expand trade relations between Florida and Israel. ep Sachs has long been a proponent of renewable energy and smart, sustainable economic models, things which she investigated in Israel. “Developing a green energy industry in Florida will diversify our economy, creating more stable and sustainable avenues for growth. This new sector will create hundreds of thousands of high-tech jobs in research, manufacturing, and distribution. By working with our friends in Israel, we can develop this new sector faster and better and can bring new growth to both of our economies sooner,” said Rep Sachs.

June 2007 - Commissioner Andrew Gillum, the youngest person ever elected to the Tallahassee City Commission, participated in a Tallahassee Sister City exchange trip to Ramat Ha-Sharon.

May 2007 - Governor Charlie Crist led a trade mission to Israel aimed at establishing a memorandum of understanding between Florida and Israel on bilateral cooperation in private sector industrial research and development. After meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Gov. Crist spoke with reporters. “Israel is such a great trading partner with the state of Florida and America,” Crist said, “It’s important for us to have the opportunity to express that face-to-face.”

On February 27, 2019, Gabriel Groisman, Mayor of Bal Harbour, joined with the chair of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, Haim Bibas, and Uwe Becker, Mayor of Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, to create an international coalition of mayors to combat anti-Semitism and the BDS movement.

Previously, in 2015, Groisman wrote and shepherded the adoption of the first municipal anti-BDS ordinance, and in 2017, led his council to pass the first codification of a unified definition of anti-Semitism in the United States.

Partners For Change

The U.S.-Israel relationship is based on the twin pillars of shared values and mutual interests. Given this commonality of interests and beliefs, it should not be surprising that support for Israel is one of the most pronounced and consistent foreign policy values of the American people.

It is more difficult to devise programs that capitalize on the two nations’ shared values than their security interests; nevertheless, such programs do exist. These SHARED VALUE INITIATIVES cover a broad range of areas, including the environment, science and technology, education, and health. States can benefit from Israeli innovations in these areas as well as through collaboration.

In addition, today’s interdependent global economy requires that trade policy be developed at the national and state levels. Many states have recognized the opportunity to reap significant benefits by increasing trade with Israel. Florida is one of 33 states that has a cooperative agreement with Israel.

In 2024, Florida exported more than $592 million worth of manufacturing goods to Israel. Since 1996, Florida’s exports to Israel have totaled nearly $7 billion, and Israel now ranks as Florida’s 32nd leading trade partner. Florida ranks 5th among all states in exports to Israel.

Additionally, in 2015, Florida received nearly $67 million in foreign military financing (FMF) for contracts to provide materiel for the Israeli Defense Forces. Since 1996, that total is nearly $1 billion.

Israel is certainly a place where potential business and trade partners can be found. It can also be a source, however, for innovative programs and ideas to address the problems facing Florida’s citizens.

Israel has developed several pioneering education programs. For example, AICE introduced an innovative Israeli peer tutoring program to North Carolina that educators adapted for use in the United States. Now known as Reading Together, the program is used in 28 states. The program is designed to help students achieve reading fluency and is mostly used for children in second grade. The hope is that with its implementation, increasing numbers of students will perform at grade level or above.

Florida has also received nearly $13 million in grants from binational U.S.-Israel foundations for joint research in science, agriculture, and promoting commercial ventures.

A variety of other exciting approaches to social problems, such as unemployment, environmental protection, and drug abuse, have been successfully implemented in Israel and could be imported for the benefit of Americans.

The potential for greater cooperation with Israel to benefit Florida is limited only by one’s imagination.

Florida Firms Profit From Business With Israel

As the only country with free trade agreements with both the United States and the European community, Israel can act as a bridge for international trade between the United States and Europe. Moreover, due to its deep pool of talent, particularly in high-tech areas, Israel offers excellent investment opportunities. Some of the nation's largest companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Intel, and McDonald’s, have found that it is indeed profitable to do business in Israel.

More than 250 Florida companies have discovered the benefits of doing business in Israel, including Tensolite, Homes of Merit, and Cook Machinery. “In Florida,” noted Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, “We have benefited from various Israeli companies spurring cutting-edge research in everything from healthcare to cyber and space exploration.”

The Florida–Israel Economic Impact Report, released by the United States–Israel Business Alliance (USIBA), highlights the significant role Israeli-founded companies play in Florida’s economy. In 2024, 429 Israeli-founded businesses directly employed 8,190 people in Florida, but their broader economic impact—including supply chains and spending—supports 26,510 jobs and $7.3 billion in economic output, or 0.46% of Florida’s Gross State Product.

The impact is strongest in South Florida, where these companies contribute nearly $6 billion to Miami-Dade County’s GDP—about 3% of the county’s total. Employees at Israeli firms earn 18% more than the local average.

The report also notes impressive wage premiums in other counties:

Palm Beach County: 760 jobs with salaries 30% higher than the county average.
Orange County: Jobs average $96,600, 51% above the regional norm.

Florida is home to two Israeli unicorns—Flow and Momentis Surgical—and is expected to see continued growth in the Israeli-driven sectors of Space, Life Sciences, and defense and homeland security.

Tensolite has provided Israeli companies with insulated wire and cable used mainly in aircraft for the past several years. Teresa Foster of Tensolite’s International Sales Department said that they have a sales representative in Israel who handles most of the direct contact with the Israelis, and she believes Israel is a good market for these products.

Homes of Merit, a mobile home distributor, ships manufactured mobile homes to Israel. These homes are about 600 sq. feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Although Homes of Merit does not advertise in Israel, Israeli clients came directly to Homes of Merit to satisfy their requests.

Trak Microwave Corporation has been exporting various types of microwave components to Israel for 15 to 20 years, said contract administrator Ellen Glass. The company works in both the military and commercial sectors, as well as through U.S. government contracts. In addition, Trak also exports products directly to Israel. Glass has found it to be a good market and easy to deal with Israeli businesses.

Another Florida company that works with Israel through government contracts and private requests is Technical Systems Associates. The company has been designing and manufacturing antenna systems for Israeli companies since 1988.

According to John Cook, an engineer at Cook Machinery, his company has been exporting citrus processing equipment to Israel for 30 to 35 years.

One good way to break into the Israeli market is through a joint venture with an Israeli company. Funding for such projects is available from the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD). The United States and Israel established BIRD in 1977 to fund joint U.S.-Israeli teams in the development and subsequent commercialization of innovative, non-defense technological products, from which both Israeli and American companies can expect to derive benefits commensurate with the investments and risks. Most grant recipients are small businesses involved with software, instrumentation, communications, medical devices, and semiconductors.

Since 1977, the Foundation has approved investments of over $125 million in more than 1,000 projects across 36 states and the District of Columbia. Hundreds of companies, including AOL, GE, BP Solar, Texas Instruments, and Johnson & Johnson, have benefited from BIRD grants.

Dr. Eli Opper, the former Israeli chair of BIRD, has said that BIRD is a strong pillar of U.S.-Israel industrial cooperation and that the extreme success of BIRD has led Israel to adopt similar models of R&D with other countries.

Several Florida companies, including Pharmos Corp., Encore Computer Corp., Sensormatic Electronics Corp., Telematics International, Boston Whaler Inc., Computer Products, Enhanced Vision Systems, Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Harris Corp., and Racal- Datacom Inc, have benefited from more than $2.6 million in BIRD grants over the last three decades.

Racal-Datacom Inc. teamed up with NCC, a software company in Israel, to create a frame relay network management system. This grant was just awarded in 1997, so while some of their achievements have reached the product level, they expect to complete the final project by the end of 1998, said Luyuan Fang, a research staff member. She added, “This relay network system is a type of network that is pretty popular right now. This particular frame relay system will be used to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the network.”

NCC and Racal-Datacom had been collaborating on a project for two years before the BIRD grant. Fang said that while they were discussing possible future research ideas, they decided to collaborate and apply for a BIRD grant. Racal-Datacom wanted to do the project with or without extra funding, and, according to Fang, if Racal-Datacom Systems is successful in its venture, it will return all the royalties to BIRD, and both companies will benefit. The weekly or monthly conference calls and the one-half-year report keep both partners in touch with each other. Fang said, “Overall, it’s good.”

The wireless communications industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. Harris Corporation is a worldwide company. One of their four divisions, Digital Telephone Systems (DTS), is a global supplier of business telephone systems (PBXs). They joined up with CTP Systems of Israel, which specializes in wireless communications and digital broadcasting systems. The result of the joint venture was the development of a wireless PBX system. DTS developed the system’s switching features, while CTP developed the RF and digital communications, as well as the wireless telephone handset. CTP markets this new system under the name CTPhone and by Harris Corporation as WireFree.

BIRD approved a project between Simbionix Ltd (Lod, Israel) and Health Professions Conferencing Corporation (Tampa), which will develop a simulation model for laparoscopic hysterectomy. Clinicians will be able to learn, practice, and receive feedback on performing the critical steps of the procedure in a realistic environment without risk to actual patients. ¹

Another project funded by BIRD’s homeland security program brought together Ashdod-based ELTA Systems, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries, and TLC Solutions of St. Augustine to develop an advanced drone-mounted search and rescue system for locating victims under ruins and in disaster areas by accurately locating their cellular phones. The size of the system was significantly reduced so that it could be installed on small aerial platforms, such as commercial drones, as well as on vehicles. The project was completed in 2021, and the companies believe that there will be strong demand for this solution by rescue forces around the world.

OpSys Technologies of Holon teamed up with Orlando-based sdPhotonics for a BIRD project involving light detection sensors. BIRD also supported a project to develop improved flavor delivery for sugar reduction in food applications undertaken by DouxMatok of Tel Aviv and American Sugar Refining from West Palm Beach.

In 2021, the BIRD homeland security program approved a grant for CentralSquare Technologies of Lake Mary to partner with the Tel Aviv-based Carbyne to develop real-time multimedia emergency call (911) communications for public safety and first responders.

In a speech during his 2023 visit to Israel, Gov. DeSantis said, We have an issue in Florida of a big lake in the middle of Florida, in southern Florida called Lake Okeechobee. Sometimes, because of runoff from fertilizer, this stuff creates algal blooms....Well, we have [an] Israeli company in Lake Okeechobee combating the algae that’s growing with their technology.

Scientific Innovations

Florida researchers are making scientific breakthroughs and developing cutting-edge technologies in joint projects with Israeli scientists thanks to support from the Binational Science Foundation (BSF). BSF was established in 1972 to promote scientific relations and cooperation between scientists from the United States and Israel. The fund supports collaborative research projects in a wide range of basic and applied scientific fields for peaceful and non-profit purposes.

Since its inception, and in today’s value, the BSF has awarded over $700 million to more than 5,000 research projects involving thousands of scientists from over 400 U.S. institutions located in 46 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Many of these projects have led to important scientific, medical, and technological breakthroughs with wide-ranging practical applications.

BSF-sponsored studies are highly successful in achieving their two main goals: strengthening the U.S.-Israel partnership through science and promoting world-class scientific research for the benefit of both countries and humanity. The BSF grants help extend research resources to achieve milestones that might not be attainable otherwise; introduce novel approaches and techniques to lead American researchers in new directions; confirm, clarify, and intensify research projects; and provide unmatched access to Israeli equipment, facilities, and research results that help accelerate American scientific advances. The BSF has documented no less than 75 discoveries made possible by its research grants and counts 37 Nobel Prize laureates and 19 Lasker Medical Award laureates among its joint partners.

The University of Florida, the University of Florida Medical School, Florida State University, the University of Miami Medical School, and Florida International University are among the many Florida institutions that have received more than $2 million from 98 grants awarded by the BSF.

Doron Nof of Florida State received a BSF grant in 1997 to collaborate with Nathan Paldor of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Together, they are studying the interactions between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to determine how much water is exchanged between them. This research is important for understanding the general flow of the ocean and its impact on the climate. Professor Nof said that he was attracted to the BSF program because he and Paldor “had worked together before and wanted to continue to do so.”

Florida State’s Tiruvalem Krishnamurti has been studying aerosol radiation with Pinhas Alpert of Tel Aviv University. The goals of their project relate to weather forecasting in the region, which is a semiarid area. The weather is affected by solar radiation, which can be depleted by dust. Therefore, the collaborators are studying the dust in the area using satellites and research models. Although on opposite sides of the world, Krishnamurti and Alpert use the same computer programs, which enable them to share their data and findings more effectively. Although the grant focuses on the weather in Israel, it can also be applied to other semiarid regions such as Texas. With the extreme dryness in Texas, dust can be lifted and create a dust bowl on a small scale. When there are heat waves in the region, hundreds of people may die, so Krishnamurti adds, “This research helps us to understand the weather in the [Texas] region as well because of the same semiarid conditions.”

Krishnamurti has had ties with Israel for a long time. He says the present collaboration has “been very, very nice. They are very bright people, very strongly motivated, and a great pleasure to work with.”

Rodney Bartlett is with the Quantum Theory Project at the University of Florida. Together with Uzi Kaltor of Tel Aviv University, he is studying the theoretical quantum chemistry of molecules. Kaltor is working on relativistic corrections to quantum mechanical physics, and together, they are developing new methods for excited states of molecules and searching for further improvements to the coupled-cluster theory. The two collaborators are doing basic research to learn more about the chemistry of the upper atmosphere; however, many practical applications may be 10 to 20 years away. Some of these include being able to detect and identify missile plumes and having the ability to shoot them down, as well as designing new drugs. Bartlett said, “both Uzi and I have done a number of things during the duration of the grant. All that I get out of it is money to go over to Israel to visit, but that has turned out to be very profitable.”

Pharmacologist David Silverman of the University of Florida Medical School has been very satisfied with his collaboration with Professor Aaron Kaplan of Hebrew University. They are studying the physiology of algae that take up CO₂ from the atmosphere. They have basic goals and applied goals, both of which were achieved. Their basic goal was to understand the molecular mechanism of carbon dioxide utilization of organisms. The applied goals were to help understand the algae’s role in the environment – how much CO₂ they take up from the atmosphere, and how to control algal blooms that can be harmful to lakes and rivers. Silverman knew his counterpart previously, and this BSF grant allowed him to “collaborate with outstanding Israeli scientists,” as he put it.

BSF-sponsored studies benefit the United States by extending research resources to achieve milestones that might not otherwise be attainable; introducing novel approaches and techniques that can lead American researchers to move in new directions; confirming, clarifying, and intensifying research projects; providing access to Israeli equipment and facilities and early access to Israeli research results that speed American scientific advances. BSF documented no less than 75 discoveries that probably would not have been possible without foundation-supported collaboration.

Agriculture Benefits

In 1978, the United States and Israel jointly created the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) to help fund programs between U.S. and Israeli scientists for mutually beneficial, mission-oriented, strategic, and applied research into agricultural problems. Since its inception, BARD has awarded more than $130 million to U.S. institutions for 1,352 joint projects. A 40-year review in 2019 involving 20 case studies estimated the foundation’s contribution to the U.S. economy at $2.7 billion. BARD research has led to the adoption of approximately 200 new agricultural practices, around 40 commercial agreements, and about 100 patents and breeding rights licenses.

Most BARD projects focus on either increasing agricultural productivity, plant, and animal health, or food quality and safety and have been influential in creating new technologies in drip irrigation, pesticides, fish farming, livestock, poultry, disease control, and farm equipment. BARD funds projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia, and administers collaborative efforts between Australia, Canada, and Israel as well. It is difficult to break down the impact on a state-by-state basis. Still, overall, BARD-sponsored research has generated sales of more than $500 million, tax revenues of more than $100 million, and created more than 5,000 American jobs.

Florida institutions have received 76 grants worth more than $8 million, with most (67) awarded to the University of Florida.

Studying diseases in tomatoes and pregnancy in cows are just two examples of joint research projects conducted under the auspices of BARD in Florida.

Harold Kistler is a professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He is studying two diseases, wilt disease and root-rotting disease, which are prevalent in both Israel and Florida. Kistler and his counterpart, Talma Katan of the Volcani Center, are attempting to distinguish two pathogens in these diseases that are controlled by different genes. Their ultimate goal is to control the disease. So far, they have been successful in characterizing the disease genetically. “We have found many forms of the pathogens but it will take much more detailed study to distinguish the reliability based on molecular pathologies. The project is a lot harder than we originally thought,” said Kistler. “We have had a great interaction and it has been a truly cooperative project. Often one person does all of the work and the effort is lopsided, but we are both benefitting from this interaction.”

Michael Fields studies reproductive physiology at the University of Florida. He has known Mordechai Shemesh of the Kimron Veterinary Institute since they were students together, so the BARD program offered an excellent opportunity to work together. They are studying pregnancy in cows and the role that the hormone oxytocin plays in pregnancy and birth. Oxytocin is the most potent hormone in the world and leads to contractions in pregnant mothers. This research is important because in the U.S. alone, 5-10 percent of all calves are lost at birth. This translates into a minimum of a $600 million loss without taking into account the possibility of the mother’s death or the future reproductive problems it may create.

Not much is known about the birthing process of cattle, so their study of oxytocin will hopefully devise ways to reduce the loss of calves. “The collaboration has been extremely productive. Just out of one grant we’ve published 31 manuscripts and those are in the leading scientific journals of the world. That’s awesome!” said Fields. “Our research has brought enormous benefit and has led to new discoveries such as regulating ovulation. In Florida, we lose 25 percent of all embryos due to the harsh environment as well as other factors.” Fields applied for a new BARD grant for research related to the oxytocin regulation of prostaglandin synthesis, a spinoff from the initial grant.

The University of Florida’s Gloria Moore has received several BARD grants to do research involving citrus. She and her Israeli collaborator are interested in mapping genes related to cold and salt tolerance, as well as those that influence the color, taste, and texture of citrus. Moore is currently working with Godal Ben-Hayyim of the Volcani Institute in Israel. Their research does not yet have any immediate practical applications, but they have identified regions in the citrus genome that appear to be important in cold or salt stress. This knowledge may ultimately help plant breeders distinguish between desirable and undesirable plants.

High temperatures causing heat stress can create fertility problems in cattle in both the U.S. and Israel. Bill Thatcher of the Department of Dairy and Poultry Sciences at the University of Florida and David Wolfenson of Hebrew University studied strategies to optimize reproduction in heat-stressed dairy cattle. For example, they created an insemination program that would increase fertility and pregnancy rates during the summer. This created an economic advantage of $60 to $70 per cow in the herd. In addition, they applied this program to embryo transfer in cattle and developed a nutritional approach to increase the chance of embryo survival.

The two scientists became acquainted when Wolfenson was a postdoctoral fellow in Thatcher’s lab. The BARD grant allowed them to take two different approaches to the same hypothesis and test them in two different locations. “The interchange of ideas with Israeli scientists was critical,” said Thatcher. “They have expertise we don’t have and we have expertise they don’t have, so together we are much more productive than as individual groups.”

Florida produces more than $100 million worth of potatoes a year. New potato plants are started from the “eyes” of seed potatoes. This method of reproduction allows for the transmission of debilitating viral diseases, such as potato leafroll virus (PLRV), from one generation to the next, resulting in substantial economic loss. For example, downgrading U.S. Grade #1 potatoes to U.S. Grade #2 results in a loss of $400-$ 600 per ton for the farmer. Thus, assuring virus-free seed potatoes is extremely profitable to the industry. BARD grantees improved techniques for extracting useable virus samples from diseased plants, and the samples were then injected into rabbits and sheep to stimulate the production of antiviral antibodies. The grantees then used their antibodies to develop a test that could detect many different strains. The same method used in this process is also used in pregnancy test kits. The new test, both cheaper and more general than its predecessors, is now produced and distributed free of charge to certain agencies. A diagnostic kit is also sold commercially to farmers through a U.S. agricultural firm. The rate of PLRV infections has dropped drastically since the invention of this new test, thanks to this BARD-sponsored research.

Flowers that propagate by bulbs, corns, and tubers rather than seeds are particularly susceptible to virus disease. BARD researchers developed highly sensitive tests to detect cucumber mosaic virus, ben yellow mosaic virus, and other viral infections in gladiolus. These tests are already being used to produce virus-free breeding stock for Israel and Florida and to develop effective methods for preventing reinfection.

The Citrus Assessor’s Office in Charlotte County, Florida, uses a BARD computer program that analyzes diseases in citrus orchards. They were able to halve their staff and still reduce surveying time twelvefold. The programs involved are both simple and small enough to run on personal computers.

Other Cooperative Programs

In March 2011, four Israeli firefighters from the Hadera area visited Lee and Charlotte counties as part of the Partnership 2000 program, which was renamed Partnership Together. This program partners Jewish communities around the world with Israeli communities. The Israeli firefighters participated in intensive professional training with local Florida fire departments.

As a follow-up to that exchange, in November, six firefighters from Lee County joined two individuals from Partnership Together’s Southeast Consortium communities to visit Israel for eight days. The Hadera Fire Department firefighters who had visited Florida in March hosted the American firefighters in Israel. The trip provided a wonderful professional and bonding experience for all who participated. “There is nothing like seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and walking this place to get a better understanding of Israel,” one American firefighter said.

Sister Cities

FLORIDA	ISRAEL
Cocoa	Bet Shemesh
Fort Lauderdale	Haifa
Gainesville	Kfar Saba (Qalqilya)
Hollywood	Herzliya
Miami	Ramat HaSharon
Sarasota	Tel Mund
Sunny Isles Beach	Netanya
Tallahassee	Ramat HaSharon
Tampa	Ashdod
Deerfield Beach	Acre
Miamia Beach	Nahariya

UJA Partnership 2000 Communities
FLORIDA	ISRAEL
Jacksonville	Hadera - Eiron
Pinellas County	Hadera - Eiron
Fort Myers	Hadera - Eiron
Broward County	Nesher
Palm Beach	Tzahar
Boca Raton	Kiryat Bialik
Orlando	Kiryat Motzkin
Miami	Or Akiva
Miami	Yerucham

State Contacts

Hillel Campus Profiles

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 7770 W. Oakland Blvd., #405 Sunrise, FL 33351 Tel. 305-746-9144	Holocaust Learning Center 5850 South Pine Island Rd. Davie, FL 33328 Tel. 305-434-0499 ext 314 Fax. 305-434-1741	Jewish Federation 713 E Broward Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2015 Tel. 954-779-7301	Jewish Federation Greater Orlando 851 N Maitland Ave Maitland, FL 32751-4426 Tel. 407-645-5933	Jewish Federation Palm Beach County 3625 S Congress Ave. Boynton Beach, FL 33426-8410 Tel. 561-737-0746
Florida Holocaust Museum 55 5th St. South St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Tel. 813-820-0100 http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org	Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach 1933 Meridian Ave Miami, FL 33139-1817 Tel. 305-538-1663	Jewish Federation 100 N Pine Island Rd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324-7805 Tel. 954-475-8399	Jewish Federation of Jacksonville 8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217 Tel. 904-448-5000	Jewish Federation Pine Inc 13191 Starkey Rd #-8 Largo, FL 34643-1438 Tel. 813-446-1033
Florida Int'l Affairs Commission Executive Office of the Governor, The Capital Tallahassee, FL 32399 Tel. 904-922-0354	Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center 851 N. Maitland Ave. Maitland, FL 32751 Tel. 407-628-0555	Jewish Federation Of Brevard 108-A Barton Ave. Rockledge, FL 32955-2704 Tel. 407-636-1824	Jewish Federation Of Lee County 6315 Presidential Ct #-A Fort Myers, FL 33919-3568 Tel. 941-481-4449	Jewish Federation of Pinellas County 301 South Jupiter Ave. Clearwater, FL 34615-6561
Florida Israel Chamber of Commerce 225 South Federal Highway, 2nd Fl. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441-4129 Tel. 954-420-5888 Email. mail@ficc.org	Israeli Consulate 100 N. Biscayne Blvd., #1800 Miami, FL 33132 Tel. 305-358-8111 Fax. 305-371-5034	Jewish Federation of Collier County 1250 Tamiami Trail North, #304C Naples, FL 33940 Tel. 813-263-4205	Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties 6237 - E Presidential Court Fort Myers, FL 33919-3568 Tel. 813-481-4449	Jewish Federation Pinellas County Inc 13191 Starkey Rd Largo, FL 34643-1400 Tel. 813-530-3223
Florida-Israel Institute Broward College Willis Holcombe Center Building 31-Room 302G 225 East Las Olas Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33301 Tel. (954) 201-7707 Fax 954-201-7708 E-mail: dmoore@broward.edu http://www.floridaisrael.org	Israel Economic Development Council 225 South Federal Hwy., 2nd Fl. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 Tel. 305-420-5888 Fax. 305-420-5273	Jewish Federation Greater Ft. Lauderdale 8358 W Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33351-7319 Tel. 954-748-8400	Jewish Federation of Miami 4200 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33137 Tel. 305-576-4000	Jewish Federation S Broward Inc 2719 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, FL 33020-4821 Tel. 954-921-8810
Holocaust Documentation & Education Center Florida International University, 3000 N.E. 145 St. North Miami, FL 33181 Tel. 305-940-5690 Fax. 305-940-5691	Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Broward County 3801 South Ocean Dr., 2V Hollywood, FL 33019	Jewish Federation Greater Ft. Lauderdale 10101 W Sample Rd Pompano Beach, FL 33065-3937 Tel. 954-344-6729	Jewish Federation Palm Beach County 4601 Community Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33417-2716 Tel. 561-478-0700	Jewish Federation Volusia & Flagler 733 S Nova Rd Ormond Beach, FL 32174-7332 Tel. 904-672-2396

¹ “BIRD to Invest $4.2 Million in Six Projects Involving Medical Simulations,” US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, (June 2010).

Sources: World Institute for Strategic Economic Research.
Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD).
United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD).
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
Sergio Carmona, “Municipality passes anti-BDS ordinance,” Jewish Journal, (December 18, 2015);
Sergio Carmona, “Bal Harbour’s anti-Semitism definition ordinance gets overwhelming support,” Jewish Journal, (December 22, 2017).
Jeanette Nuñez, “Florida has a special bond with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East,” Miami Herald, (May 5, 2022).
“Governor Ron DeSantis Delivers Keynote Address in Jerusalem to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of Israel,” Ron DeSantis, (April 27, 2023)
“Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation in Israel Further Combatting Antisemitism,” News Release, (April 28, 2023).
James Spiro, “Israel’s economic footprint in Florida grows as Israeli-founded companies boost jobs and innovation,” CTECH, (April 8, 2025).

State-to-State Cooperation: Florida and Israel