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Governor Meets Consul General, Recognizes 75th Anniversary of Israel
LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen hosted Consul General Yinam Cohen at a news conference recognizing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. Governor Pillen was also joined by business and community leaders from across the state who talked about the importance of the special relationship between Nebraska and Israel along with the contributions of Nebraska's Jewish community.
"Nebraska shares significant cultural, educational, and business ties with Israel," said Governor Pillen. "We look forward to continuing our strong relationship by building and expanding those ties in agriculture, medicine, and technology, among other sectors."
CG Cohen represents the Consulate of Israel in Chicago. Nebraska is among eight states in the Midwest included in the jurisdiction of that office.
"The robust alliance between Nebraska and Israel fosters a climate of innovation, economic growth, and overall well-being within both our regions," said GC Cohen. "This year we are celebrating not only the 75th anniversary of Israel, but also 75 years of U.S.-Israel relations."
Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the importance of commerce between Nebraska and Israel.
"For decades, Nebraska businesses have been engaged in successful partnerships with businesses in the State of Israel," said Slone. "These relationships have strengthened the international marketplace for Nebraska goods and have also provided many Nebraska companies with essential technologies and goods to expand our businesses right here. We appreciate the opportunity to not only recognize the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel, but also the common cultural and business bonds between Nebraska and the State of Israel."
Mike Siegel, president of the board of directors for the Jewish Federation of Omaha, shared some history about immigration to Nebraska and the establishment of Jewish culture.
"The Jewish community in this state can trace its roots back to 1855, a year after Nebraska was organized as a territory and full 12 years before we became a state," said Siegel. "It’s easy to see the parallels and commonalities between our histories in Israel and Nebraska. We can always count on our greater Nebraska community to support Israel and the Jewish people."
Dr. Jeff Gold, provost and executive vice president of the University of Nebraska system, embraced the educational opportunities shared between the state of Nebraska and Israel.
“The University of Nebraska System and our four campuses are proud to be strong partners with the State of Israel in helping expand access to affordable higher education and life-changing research," said Gold. "One example is RespirAI. Israeli business leaders, and Israeli medical investors led to the creation of RespirAI, whose goal is to develop an AI-based wearable disease management platform for COPD. RespirAI was initially created through an intellectual property license deal brokered by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNO and UNMC, based off research at those two campuses."
Fischel Ziegelheim, manager of WR Reserve in Hastings, touted that Nebraska beef is highly prized in Israel.
"The Israel relationship with Nebraska and the products we export is very, very strong," said Ziegelheim. "People in Israel love Nebraska beef."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Gov. Pillen presented a proclamation honoring 75 years of Israel’s statehood, which he presented to CG Cohen. Prior to today’s news conference, the pair exchanged diplomatic gifts during a private meeting in the Governor’s office.
Video of the event can be found here.
