NZIIH Call On Parties To Seize Opportunities With Israel

The NZ Israel Innovation Hub (NZIIH), a leading non-profit organization focused on fostering trade and tech partnerships between New Zealand and Israel, calls on the leaders of all political parties to facilitate and accelerate trade ties between New Zealand and Israel.

“As the New Zealand general election approaches, the NZIIH strongly urges all political parties to put this relationship on their foreign policy agendas. We believe that by nurturing constructive, trust-building, and robust relationships with Israel’s corporate, academic and tech communities, both countries stand to benefit significantly in trade, economic productivity, and innovation,” stated NZIIH Executive Director, Josh Brown.

Israel is widely recognized as a global hub for technological innovation and start-up ventures.

According to a recently released report by Startup Genome, Tel Aviv is the 5th top ecosystem in the world, and Israel has been assessed to be the 3rd top country ecosystem by Startup Blink in its 2023 report.

“With Israel’s transition from an agricultural economy to the ‘Startup Nation’ in the early 2000s, New Zealand can easily access and adapt an economic model to enable its own digital transformation.

Furthermore, partnering with Israel in areas such as agritech, cybersecurity, and health tech, can vastly benefit New Zealand's industries, businesses, and citizens alike.

“Indeed, with its rich natural resources and cutting-edge sustainable practices, New Zealand offers Israel potential avenues for collaboration in the realms of sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and environmental conservation,” stated Josh Brown.

Over the past few years, NZIIH has successfully facilitated numerous trade and innovation partnerships that have created jobs, boosted economic growth, and spurred technological innovation in both countries. Its leadership is confident that these accomplishments are merely the tip of the iceberg concerning what can be achieved through further economic engagement. In order to facilitate this engagement, NZIIH is calling on NZ’s political parties to consider:

• Ratifying the innovation agreement with Israel signed in 2020

• Opening a New Zealand Embassy and trade office in Tel Aviv

• Investigating the feasibility of a Free Trade Agreement with Israel

• Funding exchanges of culture and expertise

The Abraham Accords has enabled Israel to form healthy diplomatic relationships with neighbouring Arab countries in the Middle East. These relationships indicate that while New Zealand and Israel may share differences of opinion on geopolitical matters, a bilateral relationship with mutually beneficial benefits can side side-step political impasses and misgivings. Furthermore, our Arab trading partners’ historical caginess to New Zealand forming a warmer relationship with Israel may no longer be as vociferous.

The New Zealand Israel Innovation Hub remains committed to its mission of enabling collaboration, communication and enterprise between New Zealand and Israel’s tech and trade sectors. 

“We urge that NZ’s political leaders consider the merits of a strengthened relationship with Israel, note them in their policy platforms and when elected, work towards realising the immense untapped potential that this relationship holds,” said Josh Brown.

About the New Zealand Israel Innovation Hub

The New Zealand Israel Innovation Hub is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing New Zealand and Israel closer together through trade and innovation. It also performs a business council role by advocating for trade in both directions. Its activities include business development, tech scouting, investment scouting and the facilitation of R&D collaborations and partnerships.

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