The Case for Trade with Israel

The article mentioned in the previous post, by acting ambassador to SA, Ilan Fluss, deserves further attention. Here's an extended excerpt, but go read the whole thing.

Israel's experience in agriculture, the management of water, and medical research and development are clearly things from which ordinary South Africans can derive great advantages. Already, Techno-agricultural Innovation for Poverty Alleviation (Tipa) is providing self-sustaining market gardens and communal farming employment for segments of the Cradock community in the Eastern Cape. Based on the drip irrigation system developed in Israel, and presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Tipa offers economic upliftment through advanced agricultural techniques. There are several large Israeli companies whose expertise in water engineering has been employed internationally. In Botswana, Tahal Consulting Engineers recently completed major projects in reorganising the water supply to the capital, Gaborone. There are many Israeli researchers and institutions that have made world-renowned advances in medicine. Pluristem Life Systems has approval from the South African department of health for its stem-cell expansion technology. In sophisticated and primary healthcare, Israeli discoveries and methods are proving of great value in countries where people burdened with poverty are at great risk from disease. There are natural markets in Israel for South African resources. Diamonds, a highly developed industry in Israel, provide mutual benefit to the two countries: Israel is a major destination for South African stones, while Israeli capabilities provide low-cost technological solutions for growing local manufacturers. Israel is still fossil fuel-dependent, and South African coal in particular finds ready customers among Israeli providers of power. Communication companies such as Telkom, which has brought in Alvarian Technologies as a partner in providing high-end value-added products, and MTN, which has chosen the Israeli company Comverse to supply it with MMS and 3G cellular products, demonstrate the recognition that Israeli developments in these fields are among the most prominent.

Fluss ends with an example of Israel's desire to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The recent seminar-oriented visit to Israel by a trade delegation with a strong black economic empowerment component, and the visit here last year of Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the invitation of the South African government, is further proof of South Africa's desire to participate in the search for an equitable solution in the Middle East at the same time as improving infrastructure, employment and investment conditions locally.

Shhh...listen carefully and you can hear the groans of the fella's at the MRN screaming themselves to sleep at night as they see their dream of South African divestment from Israel slowly slipping away.

Comments

[Cynic]

Maybe this latest Israeli breakthrough will interest South African medicine:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1107314583463&apage=1
"Israeli breakthrough spots propensity to PTSD"

"Israeli researchers are the first to discover unique biomarkers in blood taken from patients treated in a hospital emergency room just hours after being exposed to a traumatic event, The Jerusalem Post has learned."
"PTSD is most successfully treated up to six months after the trauma. A highly reliable blood test would free professionals to focus immediately on those at high risk, treat them and follow them up rather than waiting until they complain of symptoms when it may be too late."