HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL_HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL.qxd 06/02/2014 09:55 Page 17 ADDED VALUE: ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC WORTH TO THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES Moreover, among 289 research projects approved by Britain and Israel: High tech the European Research Council in 2013, 32 – a Britain-Israel bilateral trade was £3.75 billion in 2012, staggering 11% – went to young Israeli scientists, or 34% higher than the previous year.123124 Much of behind only the United Kingdom and Germany.114 As Hebrew University’s Prof. Isaiah Arkin remarked, that growth is now concentrated in one critical field: “The Europeans aren’t doing Israeli researchers any high technology. In 2011, Chancellor George favour. They judge the research proposals objectively. Osborne inaugurated a tech centre, the UK-Israel They invest in the best.” 115 Passy, the Bulgarian Tech Hub, at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv – the reign minister, agreed, adding, “That sense only such facility sponsored by a government and former fo 125 That same year, of innovation is something we desperately need here located at its embassy, in the world. in the EU.”116 Prime Minister David Cameron appointed a tech envoy to Israel, the UK’s first-ever anywhere, and the The EU and Israel are now working to reach a government issued a White Paper naming Israel as a compromise to allow the latter to join the newest “key” strategic partner.126 Framework Programme (called ‘Horizon 2020’), in In November 2013, London hosted its second annual light of a recent EU directive against funding Israeli Innovate Israel summit, which included senior figures research activity in the West Bank.117 “The question of ‘Horizon 2020’ is important to Israel,” said Dr from Facebook; Microsoft; Google; and Virgin. 127 As Avineri. “But equally crucial to Europe, because it has Matthew Gould, London’s Ambassador to Israel, such a keen interest in Israeli high tech.”118 said, “If we could just persuade a portion of the Israeli companies that see their future in Silicon Israel is an active member of the EUREKA industrial Valley to come to London, it would be great for the R&D network (serving as president from 2010 to British economy”. 128 Or, as Alex Hoye, CEO of 2011),119 as well as the Competitive and Innovation Latitude Digital, lamented, “we don’t push ourselves Framework Programme for information technology like the Israelis. We want and need more of the Israeli and energy efficiency,120 and is the only non-European innovative spirit in Britain”.129 member of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) programme. Since 2000, Israel has participated in more than one-third of all of COST’s activities – 356 of a total of 1,048 – an astounding number for a country its size. Israel is also currently chairing COST’s social-science research into the phenomenon of femicide in Europe (including so-called ‘honour killings’).121 122 114 “RDI in Israel News,” Delegation of the European Union to the State of 123 Hugo Bieber, “I will boost Israel trade across the UK,” The JC.com, 14 July Israel (2013), available at: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ 2013, available at: http://www.thejc.com/business/business-features/ israel/documents/eu_israel/290_en.pdf (accessed 5 November 2013). 109454/i-will 115 Ibid. -boost-israel-trade-across-uk (accessed 16 December 2013). 116 Author interview, 11 December 2013. 124 Nadav Shemer, “UK envoy: Trade boom proves no Israel boycott,” The Jerusalem Post, 29 February 2012, available at: http://www.jpost.com/ 117 Shlomo Cesana, “Israel and EU move closer on Horizon 2020 project,” Business/Business-News/UK-envoy-Trade-boom-proves-no-Israel-boycott Israel Hayom, 24 October 2013, available at: http://www.israelhayom.com/ (accessed 16 December 2013). site/newsletter_article.php?id=12809 (accessed 20 November 2013). 125 “The UK Israel Tech Hub celebrates two years of success,” British Embassy Tel 118 Author interview, 20 November 2013. Aviv, 7 October 2013, availab : https://www.gov.uk/government/ le at 119 “Eureka Member > Israel,” ka, available at: world-location-news/the-uk-israel-tech-hub-celebrates-two-years-of-success Eure (accessed 10 November 2013). http://www.eurekanetwork.org/israel/about (accessed 10 November 2013). 120 “Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP),” European 126 “Trading with Israel,” UK Israel Business, available at: Commission, 8 November 2013, available at: http://www.ukisraelbusiness.co.uk/?page_id=104 (accessed 29 October 2013). http://ec.europa.eu/cip/index_en.htm (accessed 10 November 2013). 127 “Innovate Israel,” Innovate Israel, available at: 121 “European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST),” Weizmann http://innovateisrael.evolero.com/ (accessed 23 December 2013). Institute of Science, 16 June 2013, available at: http://www.we 128 David Sham izmann.ac.il/ ah, “High-tech diplomacy puts Israel and UK on the same RGP_open/postdoc/EU-COST.html (accessed 2 November 2013). page,” The Times of Israel, 30 October 2012, available at: 122 “Femicide across Europe,” European Cooperation in Science and Technology, http://www.timesofisrael.com/high-tech-diplomacy-puts-israel-and-uk- available at: http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/isch/Actions/IS1206 on-the-same-page/ (accessed 5 November 2013). (accessed 2 December 2013). 129 Ibid. 15