President Obama Visits Iron Dome; Project Has Ties to Baltimore Federation

Wed, 03/20/2013 - 1:50pm

Reprinted courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

When President Barack Obama visited Israel today, one of his first stops was the Iron Dome battery near Ben-Gurion airport. This anti-missile system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense

"Thank you for unequivocally affirming Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself by itself against any threat. Thank you for enhancing Israel’s’ ability to exercise that right through generous military assistance, revolutionary missile defense programs, and unprecedented security and intelligence cooperation. "  Benjamin Netanyahu; 3/20/13. Image courtesy Israel PMO.

For the Maryland/Israel Development Corp (MIDC), an agency of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, it’s an exciting opportunity to point to its success in bringing Israeli headquarters to the United States. Not only did they work closely with Rafael, helping them establish their headquarters in Maryland, but they also brought ELTA, the manufacturer of the Iron Dome’s radar system, to the state.

“These are big, big companies that do a lot of work with the major defense contractors in the area,” said Barry Bogage, Executive Director of MIDC. “Companies like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin — it is important for [the Israeli companies] to be in the heart of that.”

The MIDC promotes trade and investment between Maryland and Israel to help create jobs in both economies. Through its membership base, programming and services, it provides a network of business contacts and support in the U.S. market for Israeli entrepreneurs.

Maryland and Israel are complementary partners, both strong in life sciences, information technology, homeland security and other high-tech industries. Israel boasts the largest number of companies traded on the NASDAQ. Maryland is the premier gateway for Israeli companies to establish their U.S. office.

L-R: Barry Bogage (Executive Director of MIDC), Abba David Poliakoff (Chairman of MIDC), Dave Machuga, President and CEO, ELTA North America,  Gideon Weiss, Vice-President, Business Development and Marketing of Rafael USA, Alvin Katz (KatzAbosch). Image Courtesy of ASSOCIATED