Delaware’s Governor Jack Markell and a delegation of Delaware entrepreneurs and business leaders visited Israel on a week-long economic development mission.
The trip highlights Delaware’s strong economic ties to Israel and aims to further raise Israeli business interest in the State.
Markell, a 52-year-old Democrat, has been governor since 2009 and is the only Jewish governor in the United States. The week-long economic development mission includes meetings with local economic and government leaders, as well as Israeli high-tech and biotech companies.
The delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, U.S. Ambassador Daniel Shapiro, financial and stock exchange officials as well as with DuPont Israel, Delaware’s largest commercial presence in Israel.
Thousands of Israeli-based businesses are incorporated in Delaware, which Gov. Markell said ”is an ideal choice for Israeli companies seeking to enter the U.S market.” The governor wanted to use the mission as an opportunity to strengthen existing Delaware-Israel ties and forge new relationships with Israeli business leaders looking to expand their operations to the US.
“We are one of the smallest U.S. states, but have succeeded in building an effective system that minimizes red tape for businesses, eliminates archaic regulatory hurdles, and provides business leaders with easy access to senior state officials,” he explained.
