by S. Schorr
With an approximate population of 8.9 million and a land size of 8,729 square miles, the state of New Jersey is more comparable to the state of Israel (pop: 8.7; size: 8,522 square miles) than any other in the United States.
In addition, its large Jewish population, proximity to New York and access to several international airports, all make New Jersey a logical location for Israelis looking to do businesses in the United States.
In 1989, then Governor Thomas Kean created the New Jersey-Israel Commission following the signing of a Sister State Agreement between the State of Israel and the State of New Jersey the previous year. The purpose of the commission was to “implement the goals of the Sister State Agreement – to promote the development of trade, culture and educational exchanges; encourage the development of capital investment and joint business ventures; and foster a spirit of cooperation between the citizens of New Jersey and Israel,” according to the commission’s website.
The commission was then repeatedly renewed by executive orders from New Jersey Governors on both sides of the aisle, including James Florio, Christine Whitman, James McGreeveyand Jon Corzine.
Originally part of the New Jersey Commerce Commission, the commission became part of the New Jersey Department of Statein July 2007.
In July of this year, Governor Phil Murphy, himself a former businessman who has visited Israel seven times, including two since taking office, announced that he chose Andrew Gross to serve as the next Executive Director of the Commission.
“As global innovation leaders, New Jersey and Israel have enjoyed a special relationship for decades, a relationship which I have continued to highlight and build upon since my visit to Israel last year,” Murphy said in a statement at the time. “I’m thrilled to bring Andrew onto our team so he, alongside the board, can focus every day on enhancing that relationship to build on our cultural and economic ties, so that both New Jersey and Israel can benefit from continued economic growth, shared expertise in cutting-edge technology, and an expanded friendship,” he added.
Raised in New Jersey, and with deep experience working with the Israeli government here in the United States, including seven years as the Director of Political Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York, Mr. Gross appears to be a perfect fit for the position.
In an exclusive interview with The Shopper that has been released to Matzav.com for online publication, Mr. Gross spoke about his background, his vision for the commission and what he hopes to accomplish as the new Executive Director.
Hi Andrew. Congratulations on your appointment and thank you for giving us some of your time. Would you mind telling us a bit about your background?
Sure. I am coming into this position after working for sevenyears at the Israeli Consulate in New York where I was overseeing Israel’s government and community relationsprimarily in the tri state area. Before that, I had worked briefly in crisis communications for Burson-Marsteller, a public relations firm, and before that I was in George WashingtonUniversity where I got a B.A. in International Affairs and communications. I grew up in Bergen County, in Wyckoff, so I have lived in New Jersey most of my life. And have family here as well. So its nice to be back and do this work.
Can you tell us a bit about the commission and what it does?
The commission was established in 1989 and basically focuses on three key areas: economic, scientific, and educational and cultural. In addition, I plan on adding homeland security, which is an important factor, obviously. The legislation [which created the act] says very clearly that the commission has the ability to engage in whatever matters may be needed or appropriate – and that may be very relevant today. The commission has a board of members, up to 77 people appointed by the governor, and the mission really is to oversee the state’s relations with Israel and to seek out opportunities which can benefit the state of New Jersey. I believe that there are significant opportunities out there – economic and otherwise – that can be seized upon and that will show that Israel currently has a huge positive impact on the state of New Jersey and can have an even greater impact.
Right now, the trade numbers that I have seen from the EDA (The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is an independent government entity in the U.S. state of New Jersey dedicated to broadening and expanding the state’s economic base primarily by creating public-private partnerships -ed) has trade last year valued at $1.24 billion. Now, that is a lot, but I believe that we can do more.
The governor has a vision for New Jersey to be the innovation economy. And when you think about Israel, you are talking about the “start-up nation.” You are talking about one of the most innovative countries in the world. In every ranking that is out there. In every major ranking, Israel is usually in the top five of innovative countries. So by capitalizing on this relationship, we should be able to bring some of that innovation to our state.
What is your selling point that you employ to convince Israel-based companies to open a branch in our state?
I think that overall when we are talking about how to attract Israel companies to open up in New Jersey, or expand in New Jersey, or invest in New Jersey, I think that discussion is very simple. This state is the home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the United States and also the fourth largest Israeli community in the United States. We are a very well positioned state geographically. We have incredible assets. And we have incredible people who are managing the state.
I think that Israelis will find New Jersey to be a place where they can do businesses, where they have a community that is already here, that has the institutions ready for them, the schools, Houses of Worship, community organizations, where they can feel very welcomed and where they can participate very actively and openly. In addition, we are a transportation state, we have one of the largest shipping terminals, international airports and a great infrastructure.
So I think that this state, in a way, sells itself. What we need to do, is to continue to have companies like Teva – that found great value in moving their U.S. headquarters to New Jersey – to continue to show Israelis that New Jersey is the best state for them to be.
Is the commission a two-way street? Is it also about helping New Jersey companies expand and open branches in Israel?
It’s absolutely a two-way street. In fact, we will soon have a joint announcement from the EDA and the Israel Innovation Authority (the IIA is an Israeli government agency charged with fostering the development of industrial research and development within the country -ed) which basically invites New Jersey companies that engage in Research and Development with Israeli companies to be eligible for grant money as part of this new program. This is something which the Governor initiated during one of his visits to Israel. So, it’s definitely a two-way street and I think Israelis will feel the benefit.
It’s certainly much more affordable to do business in New Jersey than in New York where a lot of the Israeli tech companies are currently situated, and I think we have a very friendly environment here. Its not just about bringing Israelis in, its about engaging and the cooperation between the two, and both sides should benefit.
You mentioned the technology companies, something Israel is obviously well known for. But are you focusing on other areas as well, or your focus is primarily on technology?
I’m interested in everything. I have been here just one month so far but I’m looking everywhere, and I’m interested in everything. Academic partnerships, water, electricity, cyber, autonomous vehicles and drones. I’m very open minded and I’mopen to anything that would bring benefits here.
You mentioned security as an area you would like to bring to a new focus to. Can you expound?
I think that there a lot of opportunities out there, it’s not just about physical security or cyber security. Its about how we protect our infrastructure, how we train and prepare for emergencies – it’s not just about law enforcement. Its about being ready for very complex and dangerous situations. And I think that Israel has demonstrated globally its strength in these areas. When you look at what has happened in major disaster areas around the world, where Israel is always one of the first countries to go in and they have such well trained people who can manage emergencies and treat people and actually create more resiliency for communities even after they leave, for the future.
I think that these are all themes that can be expanded on and looked at here in New Jersey and say ‘how can we be stronger during an emergency and after an emergency.’ And again, that’s in the physical realm but also in the non-physical realm, as with cyber and others.
Besides for the Commission, there are many private groups as well as federations that also work along these lines. Do you work together with these groups or is it everyone for themselves?
I have reached out to different groups across the state, including federations, and I absolutely look forward to working with them and everyone else. But I do want to be clear in a sense, that this commission is not limited to, or exclusive to, Jewish organizations, or Jewish people. And I actually have a vision for this commission to be much more inclusive than in the past. To of course reflect that it is a relationship between New Jersey and the Jewish state but also to understand and acknowledge the great admiration that many New Jerseyans have for Israel who come from faiths, beliefs and backgrounds of all types, who support Israel, who do business with Israel and who travel there. I want to make this commission accessible to everyone while also maintaining and reflecting the concerns, and the pride that the Jewish community has for Israel. But in terms of reaching out, I’m absolutely open. I am meeting with all kinds of business leaders, community groups, religious leaders and I am very, very open to engaging with others to hear their thoughts and see what opportunities are out there for the state.
It’s worth noting that the governor has already visited twice since taking office and has visited many high-tech companies and had some important meetings and I think that the governor is always looking to be inclusive.
And by the way, my role here is not a political one but I am very proud to work for a governor who has spoken out so clearly against BDS. And who has stated his support for Israel very clearly, very articulately and who stands with the Jewish community and with Israel and all communities throughout the state.
You mentioned the Governor’s unequivocal support for the state of Israel. Recently there has been some anti-Israel sentiment from some Democratic members of Congress, fueling the belief that the Democratic party becoming hostile to Israel. Is that worrisome for the commission’s future, considering New Jersey is such a strong Democratic state?
I don’t think that Israel is so controversial, honestly. I think that when you look – there will always be people that have their opinions and there will always be some people who are critical of Israel. But when you look at this country by and large, the vast majority of Americans – in every poll and in every statistic – support Israel. I’m not saying they should support Israel over or under other causes. I’m just saying that they support Israel. The vast majority of Democrats in this country support Israel.
This Governor has stated his support very clearly so I don’t really want to comment on what other political figures say or don’t say but I will say this: This Governor, who is a Democratic governor, has certainly shown clearly not only that he supports Israel, but importantly, that Israel can bring great benefit to this state and really to any state that is engaging with it and sharing any innovation that is coming out of there.
One final question. I understand that you recently met with El-Al CEO Yoram Elgrabli. Can you discuss that publicly?Are there more flights between the two countries on the horizon?
Well I don’t want to speak too much about private conversations, but we had a great discussion in addition to an initial conversation with United Airlines.
But the point is that El-Al brings so much benefit to New Jersey as does United. We have two international airlines that are flying direct between Newark and Tel-Aviv that act as bridges between our communities, and these are examples of companies that are generating jobs and money for our state. And these are exactly the types of companies that I’m speaking with, and interested in speaking with, because they are positively affecting our economy.
So meeting with El-Al was basically to discuss what more can we be doing and to be available so we can create more opportunities.
Thank you so much for your time.
My pleasure!
