To Israeli innovators: The US market Is still yours to win - opinion

NOVEMBER 4, 2026 18:07This week’s US midterm elections have prompted a question among many of our Israeli partners. Should the results change their plans to do business in the United States, and more specifically, in Michigan?Our answer is unequivocally no, and the reason lies in where business decisions are made: in boardrooms, by business leaders, and through relationships built on reciprocal delegation visits. Economic ties are among the most durable parts of the US-Israel relationship, and they are where the relationship can be strengthened at this moment.The US-Israel relationship is usually described in terms of security - intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and shared adversaries. That cooperation is real, but it sits alongside a second pillar that gets less attention. That foundation is in Detroit, Houston, Miami, Baltimore, and communities across America, on production lines seeking automation, in hospitals looking for digital solutions, and at automakers searching for the next breakthrough in mobility. For the executives running these companies, the headlines matter less than the Israeli technology that is changing the way they do business.In Michigan, the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) has hosted more than 100 Israeli companies and helped generate more than $45 million in economic activity. New York hosts approximately 650 Israeli companies that provide more than 28,500 jobs and generate $13.3 billion in economic value. These figures represent paychecks, families, and entire communities of Americans benefiting every day from Israeli innovation.Israelis often read American elections as national verdicts. American voters weigh many issues. For instance, in Michigan this year, many Michiganians told pollsters they were worried about their personal finances and the cost of living. Regardless of election results, whether an Israeli company succeeds in the US market depends on execution: finding customers, running successful pilots, meeting regulatory requirements and building local teams.The Gordie Howe bridge in Michigan. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)Michigan has supported that work through its economic development agencies, universities and incentive programs across administrations of both parties. Federal policy matters too, and we will work with every member of Michigan’s congressional delegation. The infrastructure that brings an Israeli start-up into a pilot with a Michigan manufacturer was built by companies, universities and economic development professionals, and it has held through changes in leadership. It will continue to endure because it is driven by market demand.One door to the US marketDespite the success of individual state-level economic development agencies cultivating business relationships with Israeli partners, a gap remained. An Israeli start-up seeking to enter the US market could be courted by any number of economic development partners: an organization in Texas, another in Florida, a chamber of commerce in California. Each group has excellent connections, primarily within its own region. However, these state-focused economic agencies have, until now, worked in siloes.That realization led 31 separate economic organizations from across the United States, most of which work every day to advance business and technology ties between the two countries, to unite. Together, we established the US–Israel Innovation Exchange (USIIE), a first-of-its-kind national network connecting organizations and initiatives that previously operated independently.Alongside MIBA, participants include the Texas-Israel Alliance, the Florida Israel Business Accelerator, the Southern California-Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Maryland-Israel Development Center, and many others.The network offers Israeli companies and start-ups a single gateway to the US market. It will facilitate partnerships and pilot projects with American corporations and connect companies with investors and capital markets. A steering committee representing four US regions guides the network, ensuring that Israeli companies have a point of contact in every part of America.Israeli companies seeking to enter the US market can now turn to this network for assistance. Member organizations will share information and business opportunities, directing each company to the organization in the region best suited to its operations and the location of its end customers. They will also lead joint delegations to Israel, organize meetings with investors and major corporations, and participate in conferences focused on mobility, advanced manufacturing, medical technology, and other sectors.When an Israeli company runs a pilot with a manufacturer in Michigan, or a Texas investor joins a funding round for a Tel Aviv start-up, the two countries become tied together through payrolls, supply chains and customers. Those connections are built company by company and person by person, and they do not depend on election cycles. That is the message behind the network's launch in Detroit. The partnership between Israel and the United States is about more than agreements between governments. It is a strategic asset built through every deal, every pilot project, and every new job.To entrepreneurs and business leaders in Israel, our message is simple: America is open for business with you. Thirty-one organizations across the United States are ready to work with you. The rest is up to you. Build technology so clearly better than the alternatives that for an American partner, saying no would be a bad business decision. That standard holds no matter who wins an election.Mark Davidoff is CEO of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA), and Howard Handler is Chair of its Board of Directors. MIBA initiated and leads the US–Israel Innovation Exchange (USIIE).Follow us on Google