Lawmakers, Israeli Consul General announce Mississippi-Israel Legislative Caucus

• The caucus looks to expand collaborative efforts between the two. Hopes are high that shared research will lead to advancements in AI, cybersecurity, and more.

While relations between the two states have long been in good standing, on Tuesday, Republican and Democratic legislators from the Senate and House of Representatives announced the formation of the Mississippi-Israel Legislative Caucus at the state Capitol. 

“This partnership, as mentioned, is not new. It has been cultivated over decades in the economic and technological fields. Israel companies have long collaborated with Mississippi businesses, fostering innovation and technological advancements together,” said Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon.

State Senator Jeremy England (R) said the formation of this caucus will help strengthen long standing ties with the state of Israel, the United States and Mississippi as the entities work to conduct future research in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and make breakthroughs in the medical field.

England added that shared medical data between the Mississippi and Israel could be used to make breakthroughs in autism research.  

Sultan-Dadon said that the exchanges in the academic realm have been meaningful for both parties, expanding the collective knowledge from the brightest minds in the world. 

With the United States among the first to recognize Israel as a state 77 years ago, State Rep. Hank Zuber (R) said the common interests and values the two share can assist both in furthering advancements in economic development and education.

“Israel is our strongest ally and friend in the Middle East,” Zuber said.

England and Zuber are serving as co-chairs of the new caucus.

The assistance with technology and artificial intelligence will be important as Mississippi now has data centers planned for construction in and around Madison and Lauderdale counties, along with an incoming AI hub on the Gulf Coast and a planned cybersecurity center set for Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.

This technology partnership has been especially beneficial since October 7, 2023, the Consul General noted, the day Hamas engaged in brutal attacks on Israel. Over 6 hostages remain in captivity.

“For over a year now, Israel has been at war, facing enemies who have openly declared their genocidal goals against Israel and the Jewish people,” Sultan-Dadon said.

As of 2023, the state of Mississippi and Israel have engaged in about $47 million worth of trade, a bond that England said he hopes will continue now that Mississippi is becoming a hub for cybersecurity, AI and supercomputing.  

“Because battlefields aren’t just on the ground any more, they are happening in the cyber atmosphere,” England added.