Opinion Pieces

As Israel continues to face threats from Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, U.S.-Israeli relations are as important as ever. The Hoosier state plays an integral role in this relationship and can serve as an example for the rest of the country.

Indiana is one of three states that lead the National Guard's partnership in homeland defense cooperation with the Israeli Defense Force’s Home Front Command. The Indiana National Guard specializes in joint urban search and rescue training with the Home Front Command, including hosting at Indiana’s training venues, such as Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. Additionally, delegations from the National Guard travel to Israel to learn from top experts in the field. A contingent of 40-50 members of the Indiana guard recently returned from just such a week long joint training session in Israel. These tailored training exercises provide opportunities to hone key skills for first responders and military units that are critical in times of disaster.

Economic development between the U.S. and Israel also plays an important role for both countries. Gov. Eric Holcomb, on behalf of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel’s Head of the National Technological Innovation Authority encouraging joint projects in areas that Israel is a world leader, including cutting-edge research for microelectronics, agbioscience, nanotech, autonomous transportation and cybersecurity. Indiana — “a state that works” — is in an excellent position to grow in these areas with its infrastructure, regulatory structure, and cost of doing business. Northeast Indiana, the most manufacturing intensive district in the country, along with Hoosiers throughout the state must stand ready to partner in the most advanced technological challenges with Israeli businesses and academia. It is precisely Indiana’s prowess as a growing center for cybersecurity business and research and development that convinced the organizers of Cybertech Tel Aviv, one of the largest international conferences of its kind, to locate Cybertech Midwest in Indianapolis for the next three years beginning with a kickoff event on October 23.

When Indiana and Israel work together, we achieve incredible results; some of them are even lifesaving. We’ve already seen the success of the U.S. and Israel working together. For example, our combined approach to developing missile defense programs such as the Iron Dome has been incredibly effective.

The Iron Dome system has shielded Israeli civilians from thousands of deadly rocket attacks from Gaza for years. Iron Dome was most recently used to repel Islamic Jihad and Hamas attacks just last month.

David’s Sling and Arrow-3 are two other cooperative missile defense programs that have shown significant maturity. The defense industry in over 30 U.S. states and Israel provide for a multi-layered defense shield. Indiana’s defense industry contributes significantly to a number of both U.S. and Israeli military programs. These programs have improved Israel’s defense posture and security cooperation with Israel and the U.S. defense industrial base. Military defense cooperation benefits the citizens of both regions.

In Congress, the proposed Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act reinforces the critical need for close cooperation on missile and rocket defenses. A recent memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel provides for $500 million of U.S. funding for cooperative programs to help defend against the ever-present rocket and ballistic missile threat to Israel, as well as to enhance U.S. missile defense capabilities including a full ownership by the United States for all technology and knowhow mutually produced for these missile defense systems.

Our two countries have an undeniably special relationship, and Indiana should be proud of the critical role it plays. Israel and Indiana are both working hard to connect the dots between our two countries and foster a win-win environment that produces mutually beneficial and ground-breaking results. In a time of increased threats from Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, and others, it is critical to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with dependable allies like Israel who share our democratic values and vision of a secure and prosperous world.

Banks is a Republican U.S. Representative from Columbia City. Ezra is Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2018/07/07/op-ed-indiana-and-israel-partnership-serves-model/760179002/