U.S., Israel Announce New Tech Partnership in Health, Climate

YERUSHALAYIM (Reuters/Hamodia) – The United States and Israel announced on Wednesday a new advanced technology partnership.

“A Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology will be established by the countries’ national security advisers that will focus on strategic technologies artificial intelligence, quantum and solutions to global challenges such as climate change and improving pandemic preparedness,” said a joint statement from Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Meanwhile, a proposal for a new highway and railway system connecting Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia that could be a multi-billion dollar trade enhancer, was submitted to the White House by the Israeli Finance Ministry, according to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

The idea, called “Corridors for Economic Integration,” was urged by Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman to be placed on the agenda during talks with Biden during the visit.

“By creating a direct connection between the Gulf and the Mediterranean, the network will allow for dramatically shorter shipment times between East and West,” claims a report prepared by the ministry. “The project thus has the potential to facilitate trade on both a regional and global level, in addition to enhancing regional economic cooperation.”

Some sections of the network are reportedly already in stages of development. In Israel, a railway runs from the port of Haifa to Beit She’an, which is only about 6 miles from the border with Jordan. In Saudi Arabia, the North-South Railway links the east and center of the country with the north, all the way up to the border with Jordan.

In the Gulf, there is a railway under development planned to connect those of all Gulf countries, in particular the ones in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The Americans are asked to get involved in bringing the parties together, and to back a full cost-benefit analysis to help persuade all concerned that the project would be of great benefit to the region.