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State-to-State Cooperation:
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Trade and Population Statistics:
Exports to Israel in 2012: Percentage change from 2011: Israel's rank as trade partner: Total exports since 1996: Foreign Military Financing Contracts with Israel in 2012: Jewish Population in 2011: Jewish Percentage of Total Population:
Binational foundation grants shared by Idaho and Israel:
Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (1979-2010): $451,770 Binational Science Foundation (1996-2009): $0 Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (1977-2010): $0
Grant recipients in Idaho from U.S.-Israel binational foundations:
University of Idaho
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Cooperative Agreements - "Memoranda of Understanding"
In April 2008 the International Business Division in Idaho setup and ran the Idaho-Israel Business Summitt with the focus and goal of the three day workshop to create an ongoing and prosperous relationship between Idaho and Israel. Mr. Shai Aizen, the Economic Consul of Israel, and Mr. Sherwin Pomerantz, President of EDI- an Israeli consultancy focusing on Israeli trade- were both present and gave speeches during the summitt. Green technology was the focus of the seminar, with an emphasis on agriculture, nutrition/life sciences, water conservation, irrigation, energy and environmental cleanup/monitoring.
Idaho Government Missions to Israel
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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. In fact, these SHARED VALUE INITIATIVES cover a broad range of areas, including the environment, science and technology, education and health.
Today's interdependent global economy requires that trade policy be developed at the national and state level.
Many states have recognized the opportunity for realizing significant benefits by seeking to increase trade with Israel. No fewer than 33 states have cooperative agreements with Israel.
Idaho does not yet have a formal partnership with Israel; nevertheless, in 2010, Idaho exported more than $14 million worth of manufacturing goods to Israel. The total since 1996 is closing in on $274 million. Israel now ranks as Idaho's 41st leading trade partner.
Idaho also received close to $4,000 in foreign military financing (FMF) in 2010 as US military aid to Israel. Eye Safety Systems, Inc., based out of Idaho, received the lions share of funds from the FMF program in 2010.
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 for addressing problems facing the citizens of Idaho.
Israel has developed a number of 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.
A range of other exciting approaches to social problems like 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 for the benefit of Idaho is limited only by the imagination.
Idaho 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, because of the deep pool of talent, particularly in high-technology areas, Israel provides 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.
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). BIRD funds projects in 36 states and the District of Columbia and hundreds of companies including AOL, GE, BP Solar, Texas Instruments and Johnson & Johnson have benefitted from BIRD grants.
The United States and Israel established BIRD in 1977 to fund joint U.S.-Israeli teams in the development and subsequent commercialization of innovative, nondefense technological products from which both the Israeli and American company 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 its inception, BIRD has funded more than 800 joint high-tech R&D projects through conditional grants totaling more than $210 million. Products developed from these ventures have generated more than $8 billion in direct and indirect revenues for both countries and has helped to create an estimated 20,000 American jobs. Dr. Eli Opper, the former Israeli chair of BIRD, has said that BIRD is a strong pillar of US-Israel industrial cooperation and that the extreme success of BIRD has led Israel to adopt similar models of R&D with other countries.As of yet, no Idaho-based company has taken advantage of the funding and reduced risks offered by BIRD.
Researchers across the United States 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 area of basic and applied scientific field for peaceful and non-profit purposes. Since its inception, BSF has awarded some $480 million through more than 4,000 grants in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
BSF-sponsored studies are highly successful in achieving their two main goals: strengthening the US-Israel partnership through science and promoting world-class scientific research for the benefit of the two countries and all mankind. The BSF grants help extend research resources to achieve milestones that might not otherwise be attainable; 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 speed American scientific advances. BSF has documented no less than 75 new discoveries made possible by its research grants and counts 37 Nobel Prize and 19 Lasker Medical Award laureates among its joint partners.
No Idaho institutions have yet taken advantage of the project funding available through the BSF system, though the opportunity is always there to start.
In 1978 the United States and Israel jointly created the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) to help fund programs between US and Israeli scientists for mutually beneficial, mission-oriented, strategic and applied research into agricultural problems. Since its inception, BARD has funded more than 1,000 projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia with a total investment of more than $250 million. In 2000, an independent and external economic review of 10 BARD projects conservatively projected more than $700 million in revenue by the end of 2010, a number which far outweighs the total investment in all BARD projects over its 33 year existence and helps to continually strengthen the foundation.
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 at present is beginning to administer collaborative efforts between Australia, Canada and Israel as well. It is difficult to break down the impact on a state-by-state basis, but 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.Idaho institutions have shared grants worth more than $450,000 since 1979 with the University of Idaho receiving the vast majority of these funds.
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None. Help us build this section. Email AICE with any updates, additions, corrections or comments. We appreciate your support!
Hillel Campus Profiles
