I arrived back from Israel a few days ago. Everyone told me I was crazy for going -- that there are terrorist attacks in Israel. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially in key business areas. The American media, while doing a tremendous job, is only showing us one part of the story, and as I walked through the streets of Tel Aviv and the Jerusalem high-tech park, I couldn’t help to think "technology is actually controlling us in many more ways than we admit". Take CNN for example. It actually broadcasts live camera views of military flashpoints in Israel, making it look as though the entire area is engulfed with violence. It simply isn’t true.
Israelis are industrious, resilient people. Virginians are quiet, low profile people who work hard. Israelis have tremendous technology with over 24 high-tech incubators spewing new technologies all the time. Yet, Israelis admit they can succeed only by commercializing in the U.S. Virginia and Israel are perfect for one another. Not only does the Virginia/Washington D.C. area offer a gateway to America when it comes to manufacturing and technology, it is also known as the Internet Capital of the World, offering proximity to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Pentagon (based in Arlington, Virginia).
That’s why the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board (VIAB), part of the Office of the Governor, is launching a new monthly newsletter called Virginia-Israel Alliance, your source for the latest developments between Virginia and Israel. We will look at the latest from promising emerging sectors, including everything from high-tech to bio-tech, from manufacturing to Internet, to telecom and information technology, with a focus on the investments, companies and business issues of greatest importance. In today's inaugural issue, appearing online to more than 5,000 influential readers, we have interviews with Mercator Broadband co-founder Lior Samuelson, the head of AOL Time Warner Investments’ Venture Group Len Leader, and Shaul Cohen-Mintz, president of Zim-American Israeli Shipping Company, all of whom are influential business leaders in their own right and are focused on fostering Israeli/Virginia commerce. We also take a look in this issue at what the recently elected governor of Virginia, Mark Warner, will mean for the state's economy and Israeli relations.
I also want to use this newsletter to provide you with the latest news on the 4th VITTS (Virginia Israel Technology Trade Summit 2002) event, which I think will be the most successful ever. Virginia companies joining the June 2002 mission to Israel will meet one-on-one in Israel with targeted, high profile companies, with direct access to executives ranging from the CEO, the head of international development and the international marketing manager. There will be opportunities for every Virginia company who joins me on this mission. Please see the article below for greater details about VITTS.
On a final note, my door is always open to any company in Virginia or Israel who might want to explore business opportunities or would like to be put on the VIAB email list. Having been an entrepreneur in Israel for 23 years, I will be able to help you find the right opportunity. Please email me and we’ll set up a time to talk. I would also love to hear your comments on this newsletter. Additionally, if you have a writing contribution to make to the Virginia/Israel Alliance newsletter, or a viewpoint to provide in writing, please feel free to send those to me as well. Ralph Robbins, Executive Director, Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, robbins@viab.org.
