The United States was the first country to recognize Israeli statehood when Israel declared independence in 1948. This strong and meaningful partnership has been built on mutual interests and shared democratic values from its inception, with Israelis and Americans united by their commitment to democracy, economic prosperity, and regional security.
With annual bilateral trade of nearly $50 billion in goods and services annually, several treaties and agreements, including the 1985 U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), are a foundation for future growth. In fact, since the FTA’s signing in 1985, the United States has become Israel’s largest trading partner.
The United States and Israel also coordinate scientific and cultural exchanges through the Binational Science Foundation, the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation, Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, and the U.S.-Israeli Education Foundation.
In July 2022, the United States and Israel held a Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology to partner on critical and emerging technologies to address global challenges.
Beyond a thriving business and technology ecosystem, Israel and the United States have developed and are continually expanding a rich variety of cultural, educational, and professional programs. Approximately 17,000 Israelis are alumni of such programs including:
- The Fulbright Program. The State Department has supported over 3,400 United States and Israeli citizens through this flagship academic exchange program.
- The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). IVLP executes exchange programs for Israeli rising leaders and professionals.
- UGRAD and Education USA. These programs allow Israeli students to study in the United States; 2,027 Israelis participated in the 2021-2022 academic year.
- English Access: This language program annually engages 700 students and teachers.
- American Space (Jerusalem): In 2022, this State Department-administered space hosted 3,662 visitors and offered 249 programs for 8,656 attendees on topics including civil society, democracy and rule of law, women’s empowerment, and STEM.
U.S.-sponsored arts programs include an environmental arts virtual residency, as well as an exchange among Arab and Israeli youth – centered on hip hop, spoken word, and urban dance – that seeks to promote grassroots reconciliation.
Consistent with a 10-year, $38 billion MOU signed in 2016, the United States provides $3.3 billion annually in Foreign Military Financing and an additional $500 million in missile defense funding. Missile defense funding supports several cooperative missile defense programs, including David’s Sling and Iron Dome, as well as Arrow, Arrow II, and Arrow III, whose life-saving capabilities have proved vital to Israel’s security.
In 2022, the United States provided $1 billion in supplemental funding to replenish Israel’s stock of missile interceptors for the Iron Dome.
The United States is committed to promoting a more integrated, prosperous, and secure Middle East that benefits all its people.
We are dedicated to deepening and expanding normalization and integration between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority states – as exemplified by the Abraham Accords, other normalization agreements, and the Negev Forum. Established in March 2022, the Negev Forum – consisting at present of Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the UAE, and the United States – advances regional integration, cooperation, and development to augment peace, security, and economic prosperity for the wider region, including initiatives that could strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve Palestinians’ quality of life.
GENESIS BH Club is on a mission to bring the most exciting and meaningful innovations from Israel to the United States and to other regions globally, inviting entrepreneurs to meet the highly successful and respected Members of our Club, with a focus on solutions that have the potential to solve the world’s biggest challenges.
To learn more about our passion for the mission, read our Manifesto here. (internal link to webpage).
