Full Breakdown
Michigan Hosts First U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange Summit Amid Growing Boycott Pressure
By Drooid · · How we work
Summit Overview
The inaugural U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange Summit convened in Detroit, drawing roughly 50 participants from across the United States and Israel. Attendees signed a memorandum of understanding to create a framework for cooperation, information sharing, and coordinated activities aimed at strengthening economic, innovation, investment, and commercial ties between the two nations. Organizers intend the summit to become an annual event that counters a perceived shift toward reduced political support for Israel in the United States.
Economic Promises and Business Opportunities
The Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) CEO Mark Davidoff described the summit’s focus as “a long time in coming,” emphasizing plans to attract Israeli investment in sectors such as data centers and counter-drone technology. Davinoff noted that a partnership with the Paul E. Singer Foundation would facilitate the sharing of best practices for drawing Israeli businesses to Michigan.
Political Backdrop and Local Opposition
The summit unfolded against heightened scrutiny of U.S.–Israel economic links. New York City Comptroller Mark Levine announced he would cease purchasing Israel bonds, citing declining Israeli credit ratings after the Gaza war—a move praised by anti-Zionist groups as a victory for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. In Michigan, the “MI Money Out Of MIBA” campaign, backed by the Detroit chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and a petition signed by more than 2,400 people, protested the $5 million in public funds MIBA has received since 2018, arguing the money subsidizes a “genocide, apartheid, and occupation.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a vocal Israel critic, used social media to argue that state funding should prioritize struggling small-business owners rather than “bombs that kill children,” referencing Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s support for Israeli defense projects.
Official Statements & Responses
Consul General Elad Strohmayer said many U.S.
He declined to comment on the potential impact of the upcoming Michigan Senate race on pro-Israel business initiatives.
Verbatim Quotes
- “So many states want Israeli businesses to come to their territory, because they understand that will lead to economic growth in their state,” — Elad Strohmayer, consul general of Israel to the Midwest
- “This is, I think, a long time in coming,” — Mark Davidoff, CEO of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator
- “When small businesses, many of them Black- and women-owned, are struggling in our state, there never seems to be money for them, but Governor [Gretchen] Whitmer has funding for bombs that kill children,” — Rep. Rashida Tlaib, of Michigan
The summit illustrates a clash between pro-Israel business advocates seeking to expand bilateral trade and a growing coalition of local activists and politicians questioning the use of public funds for partnerships tied to Israel’s defense activities.