Words from the Israel ambassador: The ties that bind

One night in late May, His Excellency Ilan Fluss, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines, hosted a dinner for delegates from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The guest list was rounded off with Ambassador Fluss’ Filipino friends who represented various industries and organizations: security, tourism, media, banking, innovation, the start-up community, transport, vegetable and dairy production, and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

The affair constituted the different aspects of the relationship between the Philippines and Israel—how far this friendship has come.

Helping hands

In the late 1930s, President Manuel Quezon turned the Philippines into a safe haven for 1,300 Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi regime in Germany and Austria. About a decade later, in November 1947, the Philippines voted in favor of the establishment of the State of Israel under the United Nations’ Partition Plan.

Steered by the leadership of President Manuel Roxas, the Philippines was the only country in Asia to side with Israel.

More than 60 years later, Typhoon Yolanda ravaged the Philippines. Joining the international community’s humanitarian aid, the Government of Israel sent 200 doctors, nurses, and paramedics. The medical personnel were accompanied by rapid response and search and rescue teams. They set up a mobile hospital, too, in Bogo City, Cebu.

Today, the Philippines and Israel, both democratic liberal states, maintain a mutually beneficial relationship based on a healthy exchange of talent, products, and services.

“As a sign of appreciation for President Roxas’ act of diplomacy all those years ago, Israel has allowed visa-free travel for Filipino tourists since 1969,” says Amb. Fluss. He urges Filipinos to use this privilege.

“See Israel beyond the Bible,” he suggests. “I call it Pilgrimage Plus Plus. Go on your pilgrimage to see Israel 2,000 years ago in the time of Jesus. But add a few more days to your trip so you can also see Israel today. See the beach in Tel Aviv, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, and all the cultural and archaeological sites. From skiing in the north to trekking in the desert in the south, there’s much to do in modern-day Israel.”

Tourists can also enjoy Israel’s diverse cuisine. Remember that this land of milk and honey produces world-class olive oil and wines.

“Looking at what we have today, it’s impressive how much our two nations [continue to] have in common,” says Amb. Fluss. “I believe the Filipino people recognize our struggle. We see a lot of support and solidarity coming from Filipinos.”

Partners in agricultural technology

Israel assists the Philippines in making the most of its agricultural assets through technology and science. They are continuously learning how to do more with less.

“The uniqueness of Israel lies in its people’s talent for innovation and the development of technologies,” says Amb. Fluss. “This is an advantage we can share with the Philippines. We would like to build bridges of innovation and technology.”

Earlier this year, to build these bridges, Amb. Fluss met with Anton Mauricio, general manager of the National Development Company. They discussed opportunities to establish relationships between Israeli start-ups and their Philippine counterparts.

The Middle Eastern country is certainly set up for it. In a population of less than 10 million, Israel is home to 9,000+ start-ups that mostly dabble in innovation and technology. 

One way they are sharing their expertise with Filipinos is through agricultural technology. Did you know that the average Israeli cow produces 42 liters of milk per day? Its Philippine counterpart produces only eight liters per day.

“[Aided by] management, technology, and science, the Israel cow produces five times more milk than the Filipino cow,” says Amb. Fluss.

“We’re introducing Israeli methods and technology to local dairy production in the Philippines because there are lots of opportunities for improvement in this regard. Ninety-nine percent of dairy and dairy products in the Philippines are important so the potential is enormous,” says Fluss.

Another aspect that Israel helps the Philippines with is water management. Their government recently sent over an expert from the Israeli Water Authority to share the Israeli model of water management.

“The Israeli water sector is number-one in the world in terms of water management on a national level,” says Amb. Fluss. With an unstable water supply—Israel has only one lake, the Sea of Galilee—Israel had to change direction.

“Today, we don’t need the rain anymore,” Amb. Fluss continues. “We desalinate. And when we have too much rain, we divert the rain to refill the aquifers.”

“In the past water was transported from the cold and rainy north to the desert communities in the south. Today, with desalination in the south, the water is transferred to the north. The grid has turned because of technology.”

Currently, Israel is also developing satellite technology to identify leakage in water systems and other smart technology to manage the systems.

The state’s experts are eager to share their talent and resources with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as other government and private water agencies.

On innovation, Amb. Fluss has this to say: “I believe that we can share with the Philippines how we created an ecosystem.”

He continues, “It begins with the government, but you need the private sector, the academe, conglomerates, and investors, the practitioners, the innovators among many other players, all should work together.”

“So the government is an enabler but you need the rest of the ecosystem to work together to enable the ecosystem to flourish and grow.” 

Defense cooperation

With a security force that is tested daily by threats on their borders, it’s no wonder that Israeli defense companies are well-known globally.

It is a strength that they are extending to the Philippines as well. In 2023, Amb. Fluss met with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. During the courtesy call, Secretary Teodoro reiterated his department’s eagerness in building a strong defense and military partnership with Israel.

Today, the cooperation between the Israeli government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Navy, Army and Air Force, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Coast Guard remains solid.

Among the projects these partnerships have initiated is the bestowment of fast patrol vessels on the Navy. This comes with a shipyard, built by an Israeli contractor, and a training program in Israel for Filipino technicians and engineers.

The transfer of knowledge enables Filipinos to eventually do independent vessel maintenance and assembly in the Philippines.

This 2024, one more air defense system will be supplied by the Israeli government. The systems come with their training facilities and simulators.

“I’m proud as the ambassador of Israel that these systems are taking part in keeping the safety and security of the Philippines,” says Amb. Fluss.

Multi-sectoral support

Two years ago, 40% of global investments in cybersecurity went to Israel. “Aside from having a lot of start-ups in cybersecurity, we also have the Israeli National Cyber Directorate. It is a government agency that maintains a safe and protected cyberspace for Israelis.”

Resources from this agency, as well as from other Israeli companies that tackle cybersecurity threats, are ready for the Philippines.

This country is in need of support, after all. According to Statistics portal Statista, the Philippines received around 26.2 million cyber threats in 2023.

From protection to identification of entry points into a company’s system, investigation, and beyond, Israeli cybersecurity start-ups, led by delegates from their government, are eager to share resources. The medical, Fintech, and energy sectors are also in line to collaborate with Israeli tech expertise.

The support goes both ways.

“Filipino workers are in demand in Israel because Filipinos are service-oriented,” says Amb. Fluss. “We have a lot of caregivers and hotel workers in Israel, and they are amazing. But it goes beyond [service]. Everyone speaks English. You have good skilled workers. And you understand the business mentality.”

Several Philippine companies do manufacturing for Israeli electronic companies. Slowly, they are expanding their services to include design and even marketing. Some Israeli tech products are now being fully produced in the Philippines.

“The trade figures between [our] two countries are evolving,” says Amb. Fluss. “There used to be more Israeli exports to the Philippines and much less exports from the Philippines to Israel. Slowly, it’s becoming more balanced.”

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by the Israel Embassy in the Philippines.