Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TELAVIV1791
2006-05-08 15:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE ADVISOR ADVANCES DIALOGUE ON

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001791 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA, NEA/RA, OES/STC AND OES/PCI
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KSCA TPHY PREL ECON OVIP KPAL KWBG IS ISRAEL RELATIONS
SUBJECT: WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE ADVISOR ADVANCES DIALOGUE ON
BILATERAL S&T COOPERATION; HEARS REQUESTS THAT U.S. SUPPORT
ISRAELI S&T CO-OP WITH ARAB WORLD

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001791

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA, NEA/RA, OES/STC AND OES/PCI
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KSCA TPHY PREL ECON OVIP KPAL KWBG IS ISRAEL RELATIONS
SUBJECT: WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE ADVISOR ADVANCES DIALOGUE ON
BILATERAL S&T COOPERATION; HEARS REQUESTS THAT U.S. SUPPORT
ISRAELI S&T CO-OP WITH ARAB WORLD

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY.


1. (U) Summary: During a three-day visit to Israel, John
Marburger, Science Advisor to the President and Director of the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP),
engaged in a dialogue on strengthening U.S.-Israel cooperation in
S&T. He moved his Israeli interlocutors away from requests for
more money for binational R&D foundations and towards more
comprehensive and feasible approaches to strengthening the
"special science relationship." A visit by Ambassador Jones to a
local university confirmed there are practical possibilities for
strengthening S&T cooperation, with potential benefits for both
the U.S. and Israel. Dr. Marburger also heard requests from
Israeli academics and a senior Palestinian researcher for the
U.S. to strongly support cooperation between Israeli scientists
and independent Palestinian researchers and other scientists
throughout the Arab World. Israeli academics expressed concern
that pending U.S. legislation might restrict funding for
Palestinian NGO's. Dr. Marburger visited an R&D center and a
technology incubator in Israel's Arab Sector. End summary.

-------------- --------------
Strengthening S&T Cooperation: Not Just "More Money"
-------------- --------------


2. (U) OSTP Director Marburger visited Israel April 22-24 to
present a keynote address at a symposium on "The State of U.S.-
Israel Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The symposium
was part of celebrations of 50 years of Fulbright exchanges
between the U.S. and Israel. In the run-up to the symposium,
Israeli organizers and others focused almost exclusively on the
growth of matched government to government funding for EU-Israel
research partnerships, while similar U.S.-Israeli funding had
remained constant in recent years. (Note: To some extent, this
line of argument ignores the dominance of the U.S. in other

funding, e.g. NIH grants to Israeli researchers and hi-tech
commercial partnerships. End note). Dr. Marburger stated at the
Symposium and in discussions with Israeli leaders that he does
not see the U.S. and European countries in competition for
increased cooperation with Israel and that Israeli-EU or Israeli-
German cooperation were both positive steps and that he supported
such cooperation. He also noted that he was not a big supporter
of endowments, rather than there should be increased
communication/cooperation directly between Israeli institutions
and USG agencies and pointed to both NIH and NSF as possibilities
for enhanced cooperative activities. Dr. Marburger's exchanges
with Israeli government, academic and business representatives
moved a stale debate about funding towards one focused on
approaches that are both more comprehensive and feasible. He
stressed to his audiences that the U.S. is making major
investments in science and technology at all levels, and Israel
should be looking at a range of partnerships, including with key
U.S. states, rather than hoping for enhanced endowments for
existing binational foundations. As Dr. Marburger noted at the
Symposium Gala Dinner, the bilateral S&T relationship is one
between "intellectual equals" and deserving of attention to
increase benefits for both sides. At the Symposium, the
Fulbright Committee Chairman noted new cooperation between the
Israeli and U.S. nanotechnology initiatives as a possible model
for working together using existing mechanisms and resources,
based on mutual interest.

-------------- --------------
Symposium, Other Key Reports to Show the Way Forward
-------------- --------------


3. (U) Symposium participants and sponsors will produce a set of
findings to guide future discussions on strengthening S&T
cooperation. Separately, the Israeli director of the U.S.-Israel
Science and Technology Commission told Dr. Marburger that a long-
awaited request for proposals to carry out a study of Israel's hi-
tech sectors will be issued shortly. At a dinner for Dr.
Marburger April 24, a representative of the Ministry of Industry,
Trade and Labor suggested that Israeli and American companies
might work together under the aegis of the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Dr. Marburger told
interlocutors from academia and government during an April 24
dinner discussion that he would explore possibilities for the
national academies of both countries to work together on a
comprehensive look at the present status and future possibilities
of the bilateral S&T relationship. He took note of the new
flexibility displayed by Germany's national science foundation in
working with Israeli scientists and stated he would ask the U.S.
NSF to look at recent changes in Germany's grants procedures.

--------------
Ambassador's Visit to Bar Ilan University
--------------


4. (U) An April 24 visit to Bar Ilan University by Ambassador
Jones highlighted some practical considerations in the S&T
relationship. As the president of the university and the vice
president for research administration pointed out, Bar Ilan and
other Israeli universities face the challenge of convincing
Israelis to return home following study or work in the U.S., and
the additional challenge of attracting American post-docs to
Israel. In his keynote address to the Symposium, Dr. Marburger
stressed the importance of regional and national centers in
attracting talent. The reports mentioned above may help Israeli
institutions focus their resources to develop centers of
excellence in specific areas of S&T, making academic and other
institutions even more attractive to American partners. In his
discussions at Bar Ilan, the Ambassador mentioned that some
Symposium speakers had highlighted the growth in Israeli-European
R&D efforts. He and the university leaders discussed practical
possibilities for creating stronger partnerships with American
academic institutions, such as agreements with U.S. schools to
exchange professors for a year at a time, or other efforts
universities like Bar Ilan could make to attract American post-
docs.

-------------- --------------
Israeli R&D Co-op with Palestinians and Arab World
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Israeli academic leaders and government officials told
Dr. Marburger that Israeli scientists need to engage with their
Palestinian counterparts more than ever, following the Hamas
electoral victory. They also need to further develop cooperation
with researchers in the broader Arab World, and the U.S. can be
an important "third party" in both sets of interactions. (Note:
Several Israeli senior academics, government officials and an
industry representative made the same case to Dr. Marburger
during dinner discussions April 24. The theme of regional S&T
cooperation was also addressed by a Nobel Prize Winner at the
Symposium and a journalist during an April 23 roundtable. End
note). The president of Hebrew University briefed Dr. Marburger
on his institution's strong cooperation with Al Quds University
during an April 23 visit to Hebrew U. A senior researcher from
Al Quds also attended that meeting. Both academics praised the
Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program as a vehicle
where independent Palestinian researchers can work with Israeli
colleagues on regional R&D challenges. They expressed concern
about a drop in MERC funding for FY 2006, and asked that the USG
continue to fully fund MERC. The president of Hebrew U.
expressed concern about reports that the U.S. Agency for
International Development was considering eliminating the
Cooperative Development Research (CDR) Program, which has long
supported joint efforts between Israeli scientists and scientists
in the developing world. He also voiced concern that draft U.S.
legislation, if enacted, would eliminate funding for Palestinian
NGO's and curtail American cooperation with moderates in the
Palestinian Authority. Congressional report language had
supported funding for health projects between Hebrew U. and Al
Quds U. in recent years, but actual funding had not been
committed. (Current developments at Al Quds U. reported septel).

--------------
Visits to R&D Center and Hi-Tech Incubator
--------------


6. (U) Dr. Marburger visited the Israeli Arab Galilee Society R&D
Center and the Jewish-Arab New Generation Technologies technology
incubator, both near Nazareth, on April 24. The R&D Center
receives support from the Ministry of Science and Technology
(MOST) and the technology incubator from the Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Labor. While the Arab Sector is behind the
Jewish majority in advanced education and achievements in
science, both institutions were providing platforms for Israeli
Arab scientists to carry out innovative research, particularly in
biotechnologies. New Generation Technologies has an impressive
track record of picking startups and strong ties with the venture
capital community in the U.S. During an April 23 visit to MOST,
the Ministry's Chief Scientist and acting Director General told
Dr. Marburger that her ministry was supporting R&D centers
throughout Israel, including two specifically directed at the
Arab population and one to support the Bedouin in the Negev.

-------------- --------------
Comment: Benefits to the U.S. of S&T Cooperation
-------------- --------------


7. (U) Comment: Dr. Marburger's interlocutors repeatedly
stressed Israel's keen interest in strengthened bilateral S&T
cooperation, and in U.S. support for Israel's S&T interactions
with the Arab World. Israeli academics and entrepreneurs are
very comfortable with the U.S. model for S&T development. At the
same time, Israeli researchers are at the cutting edges
themselves in key areas. They see the U.S. as the world leader
in S&T, are familiar with American institutions, and see the U.S.
system as having less bureaucracy than those of other partners.
Both countries have interests and capabilities in key sectors,
including defense, homeland security, energy, water, nano and
biotechnologies. By at least one measure, Israel is number one
in the world in "talent density" (based on patents, doctorates,
and NASDAQ listings). As Dr. Marburger noted, the S&T
relationship with Israel is a key one for the U.S. and deserving
of attention by both sides. The Fulbright Symposium and reports
sponsored by the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission
and others will inventory the state of the S&T relationship and
identify future possibilities. As the Ambassador's visit to Bar
Ilan highlighted, there are specific possibilities that both
sides can begin to explore now. As one Symposium speaker noted,
"Reducing barriers doesn't require new funding."


8. (SBU) Beyond bilateral cooperation, Israeli government
officials and leaders from academia repeatedly stressed the need
for Israeli researchers to maintain and expand cooperation with
Palestinian researchers and with counterparts in the broader Arab
World as well. They stated that the U.S. has an important "third
party" role to play in enhancing such interchange, and that U.S.
support for moderates willing to work with Israeli counterparts
is more important than ever with a Hamas government in the
Palestinian Authority. End comment.


9. (U) Dr. Marburger cleared this message.

JONES