Cooperation Between Israel
and the State of New Mexico

Binational foundation grants shared by New Mexico institutions:

Recipients of grants from U.S.-Israel binational foundations:

Aguila Technologies Group Inc.
Los Alamos National Lab
Loveplace Respiratory Research Institute
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
New Mexico State
University of New Mexico

Agreements with Israel

New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid joined eight other attorneys general for a trip to Israel on July 14-22, 1999. The participants in the mission went to explore U.S.-Israel cooperation in legal affairs and discussed issues including youth violence, the death penalty, and extradition laws.

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. 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 23 states have cooperative agreements with Israel.

New Mexico does not yet have a formal partnership with Israel; nevertheless, in 2007, New Mexico exported over $41 million worth of manufacturing goods to Israel. The total value of exports since 1996 exceeds $490 million. In addition, New Mexico companies received approximately $2,753,800 in 2006 for U.S. government-funded military contracts with Israel through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program (U.S. military assistance to Israel). Israel now ranks as New Mexico's 11th leading trade partner.

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 New Mexico.

Israel, for example, has developed a number of pioneering education programs. One, the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, has been praised by President Clinton as “the best preschool program on earth” and replicated throughout the country.

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 New Mexico is limited only by the imagination.

New Mexico 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.

More than 20 New Mexico companies have discovered the benefits of doing business in Israel, including Lase-R Shield Inc., CVI Laser Corporation and Wildflower International.

Lase-R Shield sells laser safety eyewear to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The safety eyewear has numerous applications, it can be used in research and development labs in universities, within industry and for military purposes. Caryn Brown, one of Lase-R Shield’s technical sales representatives, feels that both Israel and Lase-R Shield have benefitted greatly from their partnership. Brown says that she "enjoys the prompt correspondence of Israeli buyers."

CVI sells optical components used in optical lasers in the field of medicine to Israeli high-technology companies. According to Roy Ralston, Director of Graphics, Israel acts as a catalyst, "They drive our product, driving the U.S. to make a better product. Israelis are very thorough and make good trading partners. It's a great give and take relationship."

Deborah Johnson, Chief of Operations of Wildflower International, said that her company has been doing business with Israel since 1995. Johnson says, "we find them very ethical, no problems with payments or coming to a common agreement... they are extremely trustworthy." Wildflower International provides electronic products and telecommunications equipment for the military, universities, research and development facilities and for medical purposes..

"We enjoy doing business with Israel, there is a lot of respect, which is beneficial to our corporation," said Johnson. She adds that "Israel is at the forefront of quality assurance, which is one of the many reasons why Wildflower enjoys doing business with Israel."

Joint ventures between Israeli and New Mexico companies can obtain funding 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 development and subsequent commercialization of innovative, nondefense technological products. Most grant recipients are small businesses involved with software, instrumentation, communications, medical devices and semiconductors.

Since its inception, BIRD has funded more than 740 joint high-tech R&D projects through conditional grants totaling more than $210 million. Products developed from these ventures have generated sales of more than $8 billion, tax revenues of more than $200 million in the United States alone and created an estimated 20,000 American jobs. New Mexico companies have profited from over a half a million dollars in BIRD grants.

Scientific Innovations

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and Los Alamos National Labs are among the New Mexico institution that have shared with counterparts in Israel more than $943,000 in grants awarded by the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) since 1987. BSF was established in 1972 to promote research cooperation between scientists from the United States and Israel.  It has awarded more than 3,000 grants, involving scientists more than 400 institutions located in 44 states and the District of Columbia.In 2005, 28 projects were funded at 31 U.S. institutions.

Matthew Kluger received a BSF grant at Lovelace Respiratory Research in Albuquerque and is now continuing the research at the Medical College of Georgia. He is studying how fevers are caused. When a person develops a fever, it is dangerous if it gets too high, so the body produces internal chemicals, which act like Tylenol, to lower the fever. Kluger is researching the balance of the fever-reducing and fever-enhancing chemicals in the body.

Kluger believes the partnership with Israel is "beneficial to both labs, science and humanity." His research may produce potential products that use new ways to reduce fevers and inflammation.

Raymond Dean Taylor is one of 15 scientists from Los Alamos National Labs who have received BSF grants. Taylor, a physicist, has been collaborating with scientists at Tel Aviv University through a number of BSF projects on research dealing with how materials behave at high pressures. He looks at the effects of pressure on phase transformation of matter. He has made a number of first discoveries of materials leading to more than 150 publications, since he started the research.

Taylor's research has been an impetus for studies around the world researching high-pressure physics. Without that initial BSF grant, this new field would not have blossomed.

A second scientist from Los Alamos, Alan Perelson, has received a number of BSF grants to research quantitative models for processes in the immune system. Perelson’s research focuses on three areas. The first is a quantitative model for the development of patterns of skin rashes. The second is an experimental model for the body's response to T-cell vaccination (T-cell vaccination was first used in Israel for auto-immune system diseases such as multiple sclerosis in which one's immune system attacks the body). Third, he has studied the success of the immune system responses to different toxins.

Perelson believes the cooperation with his Israeli counterparts led to a conversation that would not have taken place otherwise. BSF has acted as a bridge for experimental findings and has pooled the talent of both countries. Perelson still collaborates with his Israeli partner despite the fact that they no longer receive BSF funds. Their research has led to a new type of research in which mathematical models are used to interpret biological experiments.

BSF documented no less than 75 new discoveries that probably would not have been possible without foundation-supported collaboration.

A 1999 external economic review took an in depth look at 10 BSF projects. These 10 alone, produced aggregate benefits of $780 million, a figure four times the total expenditure of BARD since its inception (1978). The benefits accrue to the United States, to Israel and to both countries together.

Agriculture Benefits

The Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) was created in 1978 with equal contributions by the United States and Israel. Since its inception, BARD has funded nearly 760 projects that have led to new technologies in drip irrigation, pesticides, fish farming, livestock, poultry disease control and farm equipment. In 2005, 28 projects were funded at 31 U.S. institutions. BARD funds 45 states and the District of Columbia. New Mexico institutions have shared grants worth $730,000 since 1987.

New Mexico State’s C. Sengupta-Gopalas researches the lack of methionine, an amino acid, in alfalfa and legumes, which are used to feed animals. A methionine rich diet allows cows to produce more milk and sheep to produce more wool. Currently scientists are adding synthetic methionine to the legumes, but the animals' intake is still not high enough.

Sengupta-Gopalas is taking genes from maize, which foster the production of methionine, and is adding them to alfalfa. She believes working with Israelis has been "extremely helpful." She has received the maize gene from them and has shared techniques with them.

BARD research done outside the state also benefits New Mexico. For example, pecan tree growers can benefit from BARD projects to save 68,000 acres of pecan trees planted in inappropriate soil in New Mexico.

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 $5000 million, tax revenues of more than $100 million and created more than 5,000 American jobs.

Other Cooperative Programs

New Mexico State is a member of the International Arid Lands Consortium.

UJA Partnership 2000 Communities:

Albuquerque Kiryat Malachi-Hof Ashkelon

Hillel Campus Profiles

State Contacts

Jewish Federation of Greater Albuquerque
5520 Wyoming Blvd., NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Tel. 505-821-3214
Fax. 508-821-3351

Sherwin Pomerantz, Director
New Mexico Economic Development Department
c/o Atid EDI Ltd
Bldg. 2, Har Hotzvim, P.O. Box 45005
Jerusalem
Israel 91450
Tel. 2­571­0199
Fax. 2­571­0713
Email. atidedi@netvision.net.il
URL: www.atid-edi.com/nm.htm