State-to-State Cooperation: Idaho and Israel

Idaho Jewish History Trade & Population Statistics Binational Foundation Grants Bilateral Institutions Anti-Boycott Law Cooperative Agreements Government Missions to Israel Partners for Change Business/Industry Science/Technology Agriculture/Farming Other Cooperative Programs Sister Cities & State Contacts

Trade and Population Statistics

Binational Foundation Grants

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

Boise State University 
University of Idaho

Bilateral Institutions

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Anti-Boycott Law

The Anti-Boycott Against Israel Act bars public entities in Idaho from entering into contracts without a written certification the company is not currently engaged in, and will not for the duration of the contract engage in a boycott of goods or services from Israel. The law does not apply to contracts with a total potential value of less than $100,000 or to contractors with fewer than 10 employees.

Cooperative Agreements

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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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. Idaho is one of 33 states that have cooperative agreements with Israel.

In 2020, Idaho exported more than $16 million worth of manufacturing goods to Israel. Since 1996, Idaho exports to Israel have totaled more than $434 million and Israel now ranks as Idaho’s 21st 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 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.

Idaho has also received more than $500,000 worth of grants from binational U.S.-Israel foundations for joint research in science, agricultural and the promotion of commercial ventures.

A variety 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 1977, the Foundation has approved investments in more than 1,000 projects, which have yielded direct and indirect revenues of more than $10 billion. More than $125 million worth of grants have been approved for projects in 37 states and the District of Columbia.

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.

In 2019, Nanolock Security in Nitzanei-Oz and Micron Technology in Boise received a BIRD grant to develop a cyber security solution to prevent and monitor persistent attacks on connected media devices (the amount is not yet recorded in the table above).

Scientific Innovations

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, and in today’s value, BSF has awarded over $700 million to more than 5,000 research projects involving thousands of scientists from more than 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 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.

Boise State University is the only institution so far that has received a BSF grant.

Agriculture Benefits

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 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 resulted in the adoption of approximately 200 new agricultural practices, around 40 commercial engagements, and approximately 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 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.

The University of Idaho has received five BARD grants worth more than $450,000.

Other Cooperative Programs

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Sister Cities

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State Contacts

Hillel Campus Profiles

Chabad Jewish Center of Idaho
3813 W State Street
Boise, ID 83703
Tel. 208-853-9200
Fax. 208-853-9201
Website: http://www.jewishidaho.com/
Contact Form: http://www.jewishidaho.com/tools/feedback.htm

Temple Emanuel - Egalitarian/ multi-denominational/
Email: info@emanuelidaho.org
Telephone: 208-232-4758 
306 N. 18th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho
By post: P.O. Box 685, Pocatello ID 83204
Website: http://www.emanuelidaho.org/

Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel - Reform
11 North Latah Street
Boise, ID 83706
Tel: 208-343-6601
Fax: 208-343-1602
Website: http://www.ahavathbethisrael.org/

Wood River Jewish Community - Reform
471 Leadville Avenue
Post Office Box 837
Ketchum, Idaho 83340
Tel: 208-726-1183
Fax: 208-727-9646
E-mail: wrjc@wrjc.org
Website: http://www.wrjc.org/