Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25

Introduced by Senators Block, Allen, Hertzberg, Jackson, Leno, Stone, and Wolk

(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Levine, Linder, Medina, Nazarian, and Thurmond)

March 5, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25—Relative to the memorandum of understanding between Israel and California.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 25, as introduced, Block. Trade: Israel: memorandum of understanding.

This measure would state the Legislature’s support for the memorandum of understanding for strategic partnerships for joint innovation, exchanges, and cooperation between California and Israel.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, The California Legislature recognizes the many
ties that inexorably bind the State of California to the nation of
Israel; and

WHEREAS, Two-way trade between Israel and California
totaled over $4.2 billion in 2014--one of the largest two-way trade
relationships between Israel and a state of the United States; and

WHEREAS, California and Israel share close ties and are global
leaders in the alternative energy, environmental technology, and
other technology-based industry sectors; and

WHEREAS, California is home to the largest in-state innovation
network in the United States, which offers
technology-commercialization opportunities for Israel; and

WHEREAS, March, 5, 2015, marks the one year anniversary
of the historic meeting at which the Governor of California and
the Prime Minister of Israel signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) for strategic partnerships for joint
innovation, exchanges, and cooperation between California and
Israel; and

WHEREAS, This action was the culmination of an effort started
in the California Legislature as Assembly Bill 1032 of the 2009-10
Regular Session, calling for the creation of the MOU geared toward
fostering the exchange of information and research. The MOU
will strengthen relationships with Israel and help California and
Israel grow in these areas; and

WHEREAS, The participants in this MOU seek to expand the
current level of cooperation between Israel and California in areas
including, but not limited to, alternative energy, environmental
technology, health, food and agriculture, and other
technology-based industry sectors, business innovation, research,
development, and academia; and

WHEREAS, The unfettered collaboration between Israeli and
California universities will benefit multiple disciplines and
enhances the academic experience of the faculty and students of
both countries; and

WHEREAS, The MOU will also establish a formal relationship
between the two parties to foster economic cooperation and
economic development, facilitate joint industrial research and
development, and enhance business relationships and educational
opportunities between all Israeli universities and all California
universities to foster job creation and incubate global solutions
from joint California-Israel innovation initiatives; and

WHEREAS, Collaboration with Israel will foster peace and
democracy in the Middle East; and

WHEREAS, To achieve these aims, the MOU envisions
undertaking the following actions: convening bilateral, interagency
working groups with international expertise to coordinate
initiatives; facilitating collaborations between Israeli and
Californian entrepreneurs and researchers through the California
innovation hub network; supporting and encouraging further
development of interpersonal contacts and exchanges and
promoting mutual cooperation, understanding, and friendship by
encouraging ad hoc task forces, trade delegations, and professional
exchanges between Israel and California in key sectors; creating
public-private partnerships between Californian and Israeli entities
in the areas of economic development, social entrepreneurship,
and academic research; strengthening the sister city program; and
facilitating collaboration between universities in California and
Israel to foster research and development; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby supports the
memorandum of understanding for establishing strategic
partnerships between California and Israel that support joint
innovation in clean technologies, water conservation, health,
biotechnology, cybersecurity, education, agricultural technology,
research, and other informational exchanges, and that also promote
mutual cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging
trade delegations and collaboration on mutual projects and issues
of interest; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.