{"id":47178,"date":"2019-01-31T15:16:16","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T21:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=47178"},"modified":"2020-01-11T16:26:07","modified_gmt":"2020-01-11T22:26:07","slug":"gov-edwards-recounts-trade-mission-to-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/gov-edwards-recounts-trade-mission-to-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Edwards Recounts Trade Mission to Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By NICHOLAS HAMBURGER, <i>Special to the CCJN<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards recounted his recent trade mission to Israel in front of a crowded assembly room at the University of New Orleans on Monday, January 28, elaborating on the economic partnership he hopes his late October visit forged between his Southern state and the Middle Eastern country.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_47179\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47179\" class=\"wp-image-47179 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-300x228.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"228\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-768x584.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-1024x779.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/228;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47179\" class=\"wp-image-47179 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-300x228.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-768x584.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6273-1024x779.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-47179\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards at the University of New Orleans (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Monday\u2019s event occurred almost exactly a year after the New Orleans City Council passed and later rescinded a resolution calling for the city to cut business ties with companies that violate human rights. The resolution, which lacked the force of law, was initially drafted by members of the New Orleans Palestinian Solidarity Committee &#8212; an activist group which supports the \u201cboycott, divest, and sanction\u201d (BDS) movement against Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Edwards, who issued an executive order last May preventing the state from conducting business with entities that support BDS, offered a resounding endorsement of Israel on Monday evening, the day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way we achieve success is by stepping out into the world and embracing great business and trade opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I can think of no greater economic partner to embrace than the nation of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Edwards\u2019 visit to Israel was highlighted by an hour-long, face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and though Edwards was circumspect regarding the specifics of what was discussed, he poked fun at the length of their conversation, explaining, \u201cI think when [Netanyahu] left he had to go to Parliament and didn\u2019t want to go. And I can understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_47180\" style=\"width: 240px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47180\" class=\"wp-image-47180 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-230x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"230\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-768x1003.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-784x1024.jpg 784w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 230px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 230\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47180\" class=\"wp-image-47180 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-230x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"230\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-768x1003.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6270-784x1024.jpg 784w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-47180\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Bel Williams discusses Israel trip (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Flanked by 23 people on the trip, Edwards carried out nearly two dozen meetings during the weeklong mission, including appointments with representatives of Twistlock, a software container and security company which opened an engineering center at LSU in 2018, and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, the largest cargo shipping company in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>While the range of Edwards\u2019 meetings underscores the multifaceted purpose of the trip, one intention of the trade visit stands out: to expand the implementation of Israeli technologies in Louisiana.<\/p>\n<p>In particular, Edwards cited the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Baton Rouge-based Water Institute of the Gulf and the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, operated by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, as an example of the new partnerships made possible by the mission.<\/p>\n<p>Before Edwards spoke, a discussion focusing on Israeli water technology, entrepreneurialism and shipping took place between three members of the governor\u2019s envoy to Israel: Justin Ehrenwerth, president and CEO of the Water Institute; Robert Landry, vice president and CCO of the Port of New Orleans; and Jay Dardenne, Commissioner of the Division of Administration for the State of Louisiana.<\/p>\n<p>The jewel in the crown of Baton Rouge\u2019s Water Campus, the Water Institute was founded in 2011 to connect academic, public, and private researchers studying deltaic and coastal water systems. The institution has had a global bent from its inception, frequently collaborating with Deltares, a Dutch research center which served as a model for the Water Institute at the time of its founding.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_47181\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47181\" class=\"wp-image-47181 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47181\" class=\"wp-image-47181 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6250-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-47181\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay Dardenne, left, chief of administration for Governor John Bel Williams, and Justin Ehrenwerth, the president and CEO of the Water Institute of the Gulf (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Given the scarcity of water in Israel, the desert country might seem an odd place to turn for a flood-prone state whose coastline is rapidly disappearing. But as Ehrenwerth pointed out, Louisiana and Israel are united in the extremity of their situations. \u201cWe both deal with water as an existential crisis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Louisiana, though, Israel is at the vanguard of water technology. \u201cThe Israelis have figured out how to make the desert bloom,\u201d continued Ehrenwerth, who is a member of the Board of Directors of Touro Synagogue. \u201cThe desalinization [technology] they\u2019ve pioneered is second to none in the world.\u201d Louisiana, Ehrenwerth stated, will soon possess the resources to apply various technologies developed in Israel, like cutting-edge leak detection, to itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are now in a position to do something about it, unfortunately as a result of crises,\u201d Ehrenwerth said. \u201cThe BP oil spill, for example: there will be more money coming down to Louisiana and other states in the gulf than has ever been experienced in human history for (the) ecosystem and environmental restoration. It\u2019s the largest environmental settlement in history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The prospective application of Israeli technologies in Louisiana, however, is not limited to water technology. Cybersecurity deals also formed a central part of Edwards\u2019 trade mission. \u201cIsrael has excelled like no other nation in the area of cybersecurity,\u201d Edwards said. \u201c40% of all private sector cybersecurity investment in the world is in Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_47182\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47182\" class=\"wp-image-47182 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-300x277.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"277\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-300x277.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-768x709.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-1024x946.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-160x147.jpg 160w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247.jpg 1880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/277;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47182\" class=\"wp-image-47182 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-300x277.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-300x277.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-768x709.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-1024x946.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247-160x147.jpg 160w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_6247.jpg 1880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-47182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert Landry, vice president and CCO of the Port of New Orleans (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to Robert Landry, the need for increased cybersecurity in ports has grown due to the transition to electronic documentation and forms of payment. Edwards pointed to the signing of a research agreement between LSU and Check Point, a multinational Israeli provider of cybersecurity, as evidence of the partnerships his trip yielded.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement, Edwards said, \u201cwill lead to LSU\u2019s Stephenson Technologies Corp. testing and utilizing Check Point hardware and software in unique ways that will protect and provide resiliency for Louisiana industries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the governor also hopes to transplant the state\u2019s expertise to Israel, namely via the oil and gas industry. While abroad, Edwards met with representatives of Noble Energy, a Houston-headquartered oil and gas company with operations in Israel and the Mediterranean, and Delek Group, an Israeli petroleum conglomerate.<\/p>\n<p>In Israel, a country with a modest output of oil and gas production, Edwards sees an opportunity for Louisiana companies to help. As he put it on Monday night, \u201cIt just so happens Moses led his people to the only part of the Middle East that doesn\u2019t have oil.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Gov.%20Edwards%20Recounts%20Trade%20Mission%20to%20Israel\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":47179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9844,8781,8790,8795,7035,8788],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47178"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47178"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52869,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47178\/revisions\/52869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}