IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 218 
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel economic relationship 
and encouraging new areas of cooperation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2017 
Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DELANEY, Mr. DESANTIS, Mr. DEUTCH, 
Mr. DONOVAN, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. GENE GREEN 
of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. JENKINS of Kansas, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, 
Mr. KING of New York, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LIPINSKI, 
Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MARINO, Ms. MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. POE of 
Texas, Mr. QUIGLEY, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. ROSKAM, 
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. YOHO, Mr. ROKITA, Mrs. 
MURPHY of Florida, and Ms. MENG) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel eco-
nomic relationship and encouraging new areas of co-
operation. 
Whereas the deep bond between the United States and Israel 
is exemplified by its many facets, including the robust 
economic and commercial relationship; 
Whereas, on April 22, 2017, the United States will celebrate 
the 32nd anniversary of its free trade agreement with 
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•HRES 218 IH 
Israel, which was the first free trade agreement entered 
into by the United States; 
Whereas the United States-Israel Free Trade Agreement es-
tablished the Joint Committee to facilitate the agreement 
and collaborate on efforts to increase bilateral coopera-
tion and investment; 
Whereas since the signing of this agreement, two-way trade 
has multiplied tenfold to over $40,000,000,000 annually; 
Whereas Israel is the third largest importer of United States 
goods in the Middle East and North Africa region after 
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, despite rep-
resenting only 2 percent of the region’s population; 
Whereas nearly 40 percent of all investment in the United 
States from the Middle East and North Africa region 
comes from Israel; 
Whereas Israel has more companies listed on the NASDAQ 
Stock Exchange than any other country except for the 
United States and China; 
Whereas in 1956, the United States-Israel Education Foun-
dation was established to administer the Fulbright Pro-
gram in Israel, and has facilitated the exchange of nearly 
3,300 students between the United States and Israel 
since its inception; 
Whereas, in 1972, the United States-Israel Binational 
Science Foundation was established to promote scientific 
relations between the United States and Israel by sup-
porting collaborative research projects in basic and ap-
plied scientific fields, and has generated investments of 
over $480,000,000 to over 4,000 projects since its incep-
tion; 
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Whereas Binational Science Foundation grant recipients have 
included 45 Nobel Laureates, 19 winners of the Albert 
Lasker Medical Research Award, and 38 recipients of the 
Wolf Prize; 
Whereas in 1977, the United States-Israel Binational Indus-
trial Research and Development Foundation was estab-
lished to stimulate, promote, and support non-defense in-
dustrial research and development of mutual benefit to 
both countries in agriculture, communications, life 
sciences, electronics, electro-optics, energy, healthcare in-
formation technology, homeland security, software, water, 
and 
other 
technologies, 
and 
has 
provided 
over 
$300,000,000 to over 700 joint projects since its incep-
tion; 
Whereas recent successful United States-Israel Binational In-
dustrial Research and Development Foundation projects 
include the ReWalk system that helps paraplegics walk, 
a 
medical 
teaching 
simulator 
for 
Laparoscopic 
Hysterectomies, and a new drug to treat chronic gout; 
Whereas in 1978, the United States-Israel Binational Agri-
cultural Research and Development Fund was established 
as a competitive funding program for mutually beneficial, 
mission-oriented, strategic and applied research of agri-
cultural problems conducted jointly by United States and 
Israeli scientists, and has provided over $250,000,000 to 
over 1,000 projects since its inception; 
Whereas an independent review of the United States-Israel 
Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund 
estimated that the dollar benefits of just 10 of its 
projects through 2010 came to $440,000,000 in the 
United States and $300,000,000 in Israel, far exceeding 
total investment in the program; 
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Whereas in 1984, the United States and Israel began con-
vening the Joint Economic Development Group to regu-
larly discuss economic conditions and identify new oppor-
tunities for collaboration; 
Whereas, in 1994, the United States-Israel Science and Tech-
nology Foundation was established to promote the ad-
vancement of science and technology for mutual economic 
benefit and has developed joint research and development 
programs that reach 12 States; 
Whereas the United States-Israel Innovation Index, which 
was developed by the United States-Israel Science and 
Technology Foundation to track and benchmark innova-
tion relationships, ranks the United States-Israel innova-
tion relationship as top-tier; 
Whereas in 2007, the United States-Israel Binational Indus-
trial Research and Development Foundation’s Energy 
program was established to provide support for joint 
United States-Israel research and development of renew-
able energy and energy efficiency, and has provided 
$18,000,000 to 20 joint projects since its founding; 
Whereas, since 2011, the United States Department of En-
ergy and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, 
Energy, and Water Resources have led an annual United 
States-Israel Energy Meeting with participants across 
government agencies to facilitate bilateral cooperation in 
that sector; 
Whereas, in 2012, Congress passed and President Barack 
Obama signed into law the United States-Israel En-
hanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 
112–150), which set United States policy to expand bilat-
eral cooperation across the spectrum of civilian sectors, 
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including high technology, agriculture, medicine, health, 
pharmaceuticals, and energy; 
Whereas in 2013, President Obama said in reference to 
Israel’s contribution to the global economy, ‘‘That inno-
vation is just as important to the relationship between 
the United States and Israel as our security coopera-
tion.’’; 
Whereas, in 2014, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew said, 
‘‘As one of the most technologically-advanced and innova-
tive economies in the world, Israel is an important eco-
nomic partner to the United States.’’; 
Whereas, in 2014, Congress passed and President Obama 
signed into law the United States-Israel Strategic Part-
nership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–296), which deep-
ened cooperation on energy, water, agriculture, trade, 
and defense, and expressed the sense of Congress that 
Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States; 
Whereas the 2015 Global Venture Capital Confidence Survey 
ranked the United States and Israel as the two countries 
with the highest levels of investor confidence in the world; 
and 
Whereas economic cooperation between the United States and 
Israel has also thrived at the State and local levels 
through both formal agreements and bilateral organiza-
tions in over 30 States that have encouraged new forms 
of cooperation in fields such as water conservation, cyber-
security, and alternative energy and farming technologies: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) affirms that the United States-Israel eco-
nomic partnership has achieved great tangible and 
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intangible benefits to both countries and is a 
foundational component of the strong alliance; 
(2) recognizes that science and technology inno-
vation present promising new frontiers for United 
States-Israel economic cooperation, particularly in 
light of widespread drought, cybersecurity attacks, 
and other major challenges impacting the United 
States; 
(3) encourages the President to regularize and 
expand existing forums of economic dialogue with 
Israel and foster both public and private sector par-
ticipation; and 
(4) expresses support for the President to ex-
plore new agreements with Israel, including in the 
fields of energy, water, agriculture, medicine, 
neurotechnology, and cybersecurity. 
Æ 
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