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Business Israel
Israel Supports American Innovation, Jobs and Investment.
Launched in 2017 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Israel Business Initiative, Business Israel educates and inspires leading chambers of commerce to foster stronger commercial ties with the State of Israel. This nationally- coordinated effort will engage chambers of commerce to exponentially expand the American business community’s exposure and access to Israel and create a new and powerful constituency of supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Business Israel engages chambers of commerce to be champions of the US-Israel relationship and promote American and Israeli companies to work together and support economic growth in both countries – creating jobs and new products with the potential to transform industries.
Three Components of Business Israel
Business Israel leverages the U.S. Chamber’s national network by inspiring leading chambers of commerce across the country to catalyze stronger commercial ties between American communities and Israel. The campaign covers three main areas:
BUSINESS MISSIONS TO ISRAEL:
CEOs from a targeted group of 200 chambers of commerce learn about Israel’s economy, history, and politics. Participants meet Israeli government officials and business leaders and learn how to bring Israel to their communities and strengthen commercial ties.
NEW STATE INITIATIVES: |
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN:
Business Israel provides participants with a range of tools and services to support an integrated communications campaign about the U.S.-Israel business relationship. They:
1. Launch comprehensive digital marketing campaigns
2. Generate and share social media posts and groups
3. Craft and executive effective media outreach
Recap: U.S.-Israel Energy R&D Center Launch Event
On Monday, June 25, 2018, the U.S.-Israel Business Initiative hosted U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz at the U.S. Chamber to sign an implementation agreement launching the U.S.-Israel Center of Excellence in Energy, Engineering and Water Technology.
In March 2018, the U.S. Congress appropriated $4 million to establish the Center, which will be matched by $4 million from the Israeli government. The Implementation Agreement signed at the Chamber provides the foundation for the establishment of the Center, which aims to accelerate development of innovative technologies for fossil energy, energy cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, the energy-water nexus, and energy storage. The Center significantly upgrades the governments’ support for advanced research, technology transfer, and commercial cooperation between the U.S. and Israel in the energy sector. Greater U.S.-Israel energy research and connectivity is already driving economic growth, and this Center will provide another avenue to support economic gains and advance technology development as Israel continues to grow its energy sector and transition much of its economy to natural gas.
The Chamber has been a strong advocate of the Center since Congress called for the Center’s creation in 2014, and it will continue to strengthen the connection between the private sector and both the U.S. and Israeli governments on energy security through the Center.
Coverage: Bloomberg; Politico; Arutz Sheva; Jerusalem Post; DailyEnergyInsider; Washington Examiner; Trading Charts
Recap: U.S. Chamber BusinessH2O Summit
This week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held the BusinessH2O Summit, a conference bringing together business leaders, government officials, and water experts from the United States and Israel to discuss best practices in corporate water stewardship and public policies to address the growing demand for water. The U.S. Chamber also launched the U.S.-Israel Water Working Group under the umbrella of its U.S.-Israel Business Initiative to support ongoing efforts in advancing water sustainability. The Working Group will conduct a BusinessH2O mission to Israel next year.
“As a significant user of water, the business community has a critical role to play in driving solutions to water challenges through greater efficiencies and conservation” said Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of International Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Our private sector needs to partner with water-advanced countries like Israel to adopt new technologies and best practices in water management, which will help create jobs and grow our economy.”
Companies and universities addressed issues such as improving water governance to promote economic growth, promoting investment in water technology, and strengthening U.S. collaboration with Israel on water policy and technology. High-level government leaders including Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona, and the Executive Director for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development Steve Hill discussed the importance of public-private partnerships. Featured topics and speakers can be found here.
The BusinessH2O Summit was organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry, led by Oded Distel, Director of Israel NewTech. A delegation of Israeli water technology start-ups, organized by the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce, travelled to Las Vegas for the Summit.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released its 2016 case-study report on corporate water stewardship at the summit, and the U.S. Chamber is producing a white paper on the summit’s key takeaways for the next administration.
The conference concluded with a memorandum of understanding signing between Israel’s National Technological Innovation Authority and Nevada’s WaterStart, a public-private joint venture to coordinate expertise and infrastructure on water innovation.
Resources:
Nevada and Israel together can Shape the Future of Water
http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/nevada-and-israel-together-can-shape-the-future-water
Nevada, Israel at Las Vegas Summit agree to Collaborate on Water Innovation
Experts Discuss How to Protect Water
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/experts-discuss-how-to-protect-water/618620215
Arizona Water Leaders Confer with Colorado River states on Drought Contingency Plan
Special Thanks to our Summit Sponsors:
MGM Resorts International – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev – Arizona State University – PepsiCo – Nestlé Water North America – Haifa Group – RWL Water – Netafim
Thank you to our Organizational Partners:
Israel-America Chamber of Commerce – U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation – Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce – Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry – Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce – Desert Research Institute – Texas Association of Business – San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce – Southern Nevada Water Authority – California Chamber of Commerce – The Water Council – WaterStart – American Water Works Association
Business H20
Conference Website
Conference begins at 7:30 AM
View Agenda Here
The Summit will bring together business leaders, government officials, and water experts to discuss best practices in corporate water stewardship and public policies to address the ever growing, global demand for water.
Hear from leading policy experts, business leaders, investors, government officials, academia and research institutions, the Salt Lake Chamber and US Chambers of Commerce and global water innovators.
The Summit will focus on improving water governance to promote industrial and economic growth, public policy and regulatory challenges, water stewardship, sustainable water principles, public-private partnerships and promoting investment in water infrastructure and technologies, and much more.
OBJECTIVES
- Showcase innovative water technologies and best practices in the following areas:
o Agriculture—providing water for agricultural land in the face of competing demands
o Smart Cities—Sourcing, monitoring, treating, and delivering water to users in new ways
o Water reuse—utilizing alternative water supplies to conserve resources
o Water storage—increasing capacity, lengthening storage time, and reducing cost
o Water utilities—developing new water grid systems to distribute water more efficiently - Promote investment in water technology, water infrastructure, and resource management,
utilizing financing models such as public-private partnerships - Build ongoing Israel-Utah collaboration in water management and technology adoption
- Share lessons for desert environments from Israel’s national water strategy
PARTICIPANTS
- Business leaders, investors, policy experts and global water innovators
- State and metropolitan Chambers of Commerce
- Federal, state, and local government officials, state development agencies and utility authorities
- Academia and research institutions
- Government of Israel, government ministers and water experts
AREAS OF FOCUS
- Improving water governance to promote industrial & economic growth: Discussing public policy, innovative advancements and regulatory challenges for industry.
- Water stewardship in corporate strategy: Promoting good water principles across the corporate supply chain, including understanding and addressing risks.
- Public-private partnerships: Supporting models for cooperation on water management solutions.
- Promoting investment in water: From water infrastructure to technologies that drive innovation in water resource management.
PAST SPEAKERS HAVE INCLUDED:
- Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona
- Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Glenn Hamer, President and CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Oded Distel, Head of Israel NewTech, Israel Ministry of Economy and Industry
- John Sabo, Director of Future H2O, Arizona State University
- Todd Brady, Director of Global Public Affairs and Sustainability, Intel*
- Jon Radtke, Water Sustainability Program Manager, Coca-Cola
- Sandy Fabritz, Director Water Strategy, Freeport McMoRan
- Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President for Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Kathryn Sorensen, Director, Phoenix Water Services
- Barbara Martin, Director of Engineering and Technical Services, American Water Works Association
- Robert Puente, President/CEO, San Antonio Water System
- Booky Oren, Chairman and CEO, Booky Oren Water Technologies
- Tim Thomure, Director, Tucson Water
- Paul Orme, Special Counsel, Pinal County Irrigation Districts
- Cynthia Campbell, Assistant City Attorney, City of Phoenix*
- Sarah Porter, Director of The Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University
- John Hoopes, SRP Board Vice-President & Arizona-Mexico Commission Board Member
- Rhett Larson, Morrison Fellow in Water Law and Associate Professor of Law, Arizona State University*
- Amit Gross, Director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev*
- Marshall Davert, Executive Vice President for Water, Stantec
- Brian Powers, Business Development Director, Water Solutions, DowDuPont Specialty Products Division
- Jon Freedman, Senior Vice President, Suez Water Technologies
* invited
Agenda: You can find a tentative agenda here.
Registration: Registration is OPEN. Please click here to register.
Hotel Reservations: To receive the conference discounted price and reserve your room contact Snowbird’s Central Reservation Office directly 1-800-453-3000. Attendees should mention the “SALT LAKE CHAMBER – US WATER SUMMIT” or “CORPORATE DAY FUNCTION RATE.” Click HERE for information about the lodge, however, to receive the discounted price, you need to call 1-800-453-3000.
To learn more about sponsoring the upcoming BusinessH20 Summit in Snowbird, Utah, click here.
2016 Business H20 Summit Recap
U.S.-Israel Business Initiative Hosts Second Annual Meeting
U.S.-Israel Business Initiative Hosts Second Annual Meeting
December 4 – The U.S.-Israel Business Initiative hosted its Annual Meeting celebrating the 30th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement and launched the U.S Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association of Israel study: “Re-energizing the U.S.-Israel Economic and Commercial Relationship: A Policy Framework for Trade, Investment and Innovation.”The study provides a plan that would address economic, innovation, and trade policy challenges in five key areas through 17 concrete policy recommendations.“The U.S. and Israel have set the world standard for economic collaboration, and for the last 30 years we’ve seen entrepreneurs and innovators from both nations make tangible impacts to foster greater bilateral cooperation in key economic sectors,” said Myron Brilliant, the U.S. Chamber’s executive vice president and head of International Affairs.
Ambassador Michael Froman, United States Trade Representative, commended the strong ties between the U.S. and Israel, but also called for an upgrade to outdated trade and investment rules. Froman said our FTA contributed to eight-fold growth in trade in goods, contributing to both of our economies in dramatic ways, yet “our FTA has been bypassed by time,” citing the tremendous change in global business since 1985. Froman pointed to several areas our countries could update our trade disciplines, including meaningful market access for agricultural products, the Israeli government’s adoption of international standards, and customs modernization. The event brought business executives, government representatives, and non-profit leaders together to discuss the U.S.-Israel commercial relationship, including issues around water technology, cybersecurity, and investment. Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced that cyber officials from DHS would travel to Tel Aviv in January to meet with business executives. “Our vision for this trip … is to really make it not a government delegation to government delegation trip, but, rather, to make it a public-private partnership trip.” DHS and Israel’s National Cyber Bureau signed a joint statement reaffirming U.S.-Israel cooperation and information sharing on cybersecurity and research and development. Naftali Bennett, Israel’s Minister of Education and former Minister of Economy, spoke about the entrepreneurial spirit of the Israeli business community and the government’s vision to promote inbound investment, in areas such as cybersecurity and biotechnology. Bennett also spoke to Israel’s commitment to bridge the gaps in Israeli education to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the skills to harness Israel’s innovative competitive edge for years to come. Daniel Shapiro, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said, “The [Chamber’s] report challenges the government to expand opportunity…we have only scratched the surface.” More on the event can be found here: Froman: U.S. Looking at Ways to Improve Israel Trade Deal https://www.politicopro.com/trade/whiteboard/2015/12/pro-trade-israelfta-behsudi-064586 U.S. Trade Representative Calls on Israel to Ease Trade Rules http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.690275 Top Obama Aide: US Firmly Opposed to BDS Movement http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Top-Obama-aide-US-firmly-opposed-to-BDS-movement-436337 DHS Staffers to Israel http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-cybersecurity/2015/12/data-breach-up-next-obama-speaks-hammering-away-the-digital-trail-211613#ixzz3teEOPytk |
U.S. Chamber’s Brilliant in The Jerusalem Post
The Broader Context of Israel-US Business Relations
By Seth Franzman
The Jerusalem Post
September 25, 2015
Find the original article here
Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of International Affairs of the US Chamber of Commerce, sizes up the Israeli economy and US markets.
Myron Brilliant is paying close attention to Israel – and he thinks American business leaders should, too.
“We calculated that there are tens of thousands of American jobs tied to Israel, and this is not well understood in political circles in DC or in Israel,” says the executive vice president of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Working for the world’s largest business organization, which represents the interests of more than three million businesses with some 3,000 local chapters, he wants to discuss what Israel is doing right and where he sees the future leading. The Israel-American Chamber of Commerce is an affiliate of the larger organization.
Although the local branch was established in 1965, Brilliant has been focused on increasing the outreach to Israel for only the past seven years. “We wanted to be more active, because of the start-up nation concept, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the fact that US companies have a large hi-tech presence here,” he says. “There are many companies in technology and other sectors, such as health, that have major research and development divisions [based in Israel].”
For Brilliant, the reason is obvious – Israel is an innovation hub. It is pioneering in water research and in health and energy.
All of these developments are utilized by companies in the US and all over the world. “The US-Israel relationship cannot be defined by how many widgets are sold; but must be looked at in a broader context.” The broader context is in the news often, such as how Israel is helping California learn to handle its water crisis.
“Because of our unique role and standing in US, we believe we have an opportunity to deepen the economic relationship and broaden understanding of that relationship when the overall relationship is fraught with challenges brought on by regional instability,” says Brilliant. That means that even though Israel-US relations have been tested by the Iran deal, the fact is that economically the countries are closely connected.
“That is the bedrock,” says Brilliant, and it is often not understood how integrated these economies are and how much they benefit one another. For instance, he notes that Israel and the US are now celebrating 30 years since they signed a free trade agreement. According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, Israel is the 24th largest goods trading partner, with $38 billion in trade in 2014. But Brilliant feels that the FTA agreement is in need of updating due to new developments, such as the Internet, that have come about in the past few decades.
One major issue now being examined is how Israel handles the gas deal. Noble Energy, a US-based company, has invested heavily in natural gas off Israel’s coast, but politicians have balked at some of the deals with the government. “So we are watching developments here in the energy deal; we have a great stake, our companies have a great stake. We believe there was good-faith negotiation between the companies who invested and the Israel government. We believe the voices of the coalition were in support of it, we believe the Knesset has signaled its strong support, and we are watching how that goes forward. Should it not proceed, it will have a chilling effect on the commercial relationship, but if the investment goes forward and thrives, it will have a positive effect,” he says.
Another field that the US Chamber is watching closely is cyber security. “We face challenges in this field and Israel is at the cutting edge. It should work with governments to find a path forward for joint ventures and partnerships and protect industries from cyber threats. We propose that we continue to see our [US] government engage at highest level; we want a strategic dialogue and we are promoting that with ministers during our days here.”
BRILLIANT’S INTEREST in Israel goes back years, and he also has a personal attachment. Over lunch at Jerusalem’s iconic Ima restaurant, he discusses his sister, who holds an executive position at a synagogue in New York.
His great-aunt Rose Halperin even hosted Golda Meir at her apartment on the Upper East Side. “So while I have a connection to the state, I believe we have an opportunity to help our members.”
For the past seven years Israel and the US have had a special business initiative that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu helped inaugurate. “I believe we can do more together. There are areas where we could [have] deeper collaboration. Do I think the governments have an obligation to talk about these issues in a way they don’t currently do? Yes. That’s what drives us,” he says.
Business transcends politics, he argues, and there are many areas that Israel and US trade relations can grow, relating to life sciences and manufacturing. But for that to happen, Israel should consider reforms.
Brilliant discusses the tangled web of regulations that companies face in Israel, the legacy of 1950s-era bureaucracy. “Government policies must be updated and there must be regulatory transparency. People think that it is easy to do business here, but it isn’t. There are complex regulations, and they are not always consistent with the standards we have. Differences over intellectual property must be discussed between governments.”
Towards that end, Brilliant and his team, such as Josh Kram, his director of Turkey and Middle East Affairs, and Hagit Genish-Gill, their Israel representative, have held meetings with finance minister Moshe Kahlon, economy minister Arye Deri, as well as President Reuven Rivlin. Brilliant argues that there should be high-level dialogue relating to economic issues between the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office. Even if they have political disagreements about Iran, the business relationship can be nurtured.
One issue that gets a great deal of attention in media is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. However, Brilliant sees this as more an issue of local activists on college campuses. “There are elements of anti-semitism that have spread to this debate, but overseas [such as in Europe] there have been movements towards BDS and we must be forceful advocates against that.”
He argues that we shouldn’t overplay the issue, but must watch it closely. The concept of the US Chamber is to promote positive highlights regarding Israel and new ways to partner. That is the “greatest antidote to BDS.”
3 Reasons Why U.S.-Israel Economic Ties are Important
By Sean Hackbarth
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blog | March 3, 2015
View the original article.
Today, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a joint session of Congress. As much as security and geopolitical relations are at the forefront of the U.S.-Israel relationship, don’t forget the economic ties between the two countries.
Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of International Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, makes three observations about the U.S.-Israel economic relationship in this op-ed in The Hill.
1. Israel is the partner to the oldest U.S. free trade agreement—30 years.
Since the signing of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement 30 years ago, two-way trade has multiplied tenfold to over $40 billion per year with shared economic benefits for both countries.
2. Israel is a major U.S. economic partner in the Middle East.
Israel is the top importer of U.S. goods in its region, despite representing a mere 2 percent of the population. There are more companies listed on the NASDAQ exchange from Israel than from any country besides the U.S. and China. And nearly half of all investment into the U.S. from the Middle East comes from Israeli companies. The commercial relationship, while often glossed over given the focus on security matters, is not only sparking new technologies but supports thousands of good jobs in both countries.
3. Israel is an innovation hub.
In a country as small as Israel, it is amazing that over 250 multinational companies have R&D centers there. And underscoring the importance of our relationship, two-thirds of them are U.S. companies. Intel, Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco have been in Israel for decades, and just days ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Israel to inaugurate the company’s largest innovation center outside of California.
Israel is also rich in start-ups, like Tel Aviv-based Insights, a “crowd-consulting platform” for governments and Aquanos, a company using algae to treat wastewater.
Because of trade and innovation, future economic prospects between the U.S. and Israel are bright. Last year, in a piece on the maturing economic relationship between the two countries, the U.S. Chamber’s Josh Kram wrote, “Much of what will define the relationship in the coming five years was unthinkable a decade ago, let alone three decades ago when the FTA was signed.”
As public support for Israel remains strong, much will be gained for both countries—and the Middle East–as commercial ties deepen.
The Strategic Imperative of U.S.-Israel Commerce
Op-Ed by Myron Brilliant
The Hill | March 03, 2015
View the original article.
The U.S.-Israel relationship has been under a microscope ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. While shared national security issues will continue to dominate the discussions between the governments – as they will on this trip – these issues are just a component of what drives the strong bonds between our two countries. One often overlooked facet of our relationship is the important strategic economic partnership.
The U.S. and Israel have long-standing trade and investment ties that serve to benefit both countries, and our close commercial bond supports game-changing innovation benefiting the global economy. Since the signing of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement 30 years ago, two-way trade has multiplied tenfold to over $40 billion per year with shared economic benefits for both countries.
In a country as small as Israel, it is amazing that over 250 multinational companies have R&D centers there. And underscoring the importance of our relationship, two-thirds of them are U.S. companies. Intel, Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco have been in Israel for decades, and just days ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Israel to inaugurate the company’s largest innovation center outside of California.
Israel is the top importer of U.S. goods in its region, despite representing a mere 2 percent of the population. There are more companies listed on the NASDAQ exchange from Israel than from any country besides the U.S. and China. And nearly half of all investment into the U.S. from the Middle East comes from Israeli companies. The commercial relationship, while often glossed over given the focus on security matters, is not only sparking new technologies but supports thousands of good jobs in both countries.
It is also abundantly clear that there is a strong nexus between commercial and security matters. Just take a look at our growing collaboration in areas such as cybersecurity and energy.
Following major cyber breaches on public and private institutions across the world, we have a better understanding of the vulnerability of our companies and governments. With more than 10 percent of global cybersecurity investment going into Israel—including from U.S. investors—and Israel’s own establishment of a new cyber hub in Beersheva, we can already see the importance of our partnership in this area.
Israel’s energy sector is another example of the significance of our relationship. In 2009, U.S.-based Noble Energy discovered one of the largest deep-water natural gas reserves in the last decade and has been working with Israeli partners to develop and bring gas both to the Israeli market and the broader region. This development, if harnessed correctly, could ensure Israel’s energy independence and security for generations to come. Since Israel had a very limited energy industry prior to these finds, the U.S. is critical in helping to build out this sector. These areas and others will drive the coming years of cooperation between our two countries.
A look at our past and current relationship shows that stronger commercial and security ties have been and will continue to be mutually reinforcing. But we need to do a better job of embracing the full extent of U.S.-Israel relations. Much more can be done to ensure a healthy, prosperous, and growing relationship if we work hand in hand to expand our commercial ties.
Brilliant is executive vice president and head of International Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
March 23: Reception with U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro and Business Delegation
The U.S.-Israel Business Initiative will be hosting a reception on the evening of Monday, March 23 for a visiting Israeli business delegation who are in Washington to participate in the SelectUSA Investment Summit. For additional information, please contact Josh Kram at JKram@uschamber.com.