Business

•Jewish Family Service

•

A Fertile Peace

and

Plante & Moran

Can Jordan's cheap
labor, natural resources
and access to Arab
countries be integrated
with Israel's know-how
and Western market
mentality?

are excited to present

Dennis Prager is an internationally
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JENNIFER FRIEDLIN
Special to The Jewish News

Mr. Prager is coauthor of The Nine
Questions People Ask About Judaism,
the most widely used introduction
to Judaism in the world, and Why
the Jews? The Reason for
Antisemitism.

ong before Israel and Jordan
signed a peace agreement,
- Refaat-Marrei Zahran knew
the value of Israeli produce.
Years ago, the Jordanian farmer and
industrialist managed to smuggle two
Israeli grape stems over to his Erm
near Amman. From them he devel-
oped healthy, fruit-bearing vines.
Sitting outside his farmhouse
recently, serving the plump green
grapes to a handful of visiting Israeli
farmers, Zahran said he longs for
more than just a couple of vines.
Like many Jordanian businesspeo-
ple, he is hoping that a fertile peace
between the two neighboring coun-
tries will help cultivate increased bilat-
eral business agreements, joint ven-
tures and trade. "It's time our coun-
tries started to work together to build
peace and business," said Zahran. The
24-year-old, heir to his father's indus-
trial conglomerate, was one of several
Jordanian industrialists to host the
Israelis during a recent trip across the
border.
The trip was organized by Zvi
Shorer, a Beit She'an-based business-
man and founder of Lahav She'an, an
organization that works to promote
peace with Jordan by encouraging and
developing joint academic and busi-
ness projects. The Jordanian and
Israeli delegates were meeting to dis-
cuss the possibility of integrating
Jordan's cheap labor, natural resources
and access to the Arab countries with
Israel's know-how and Western market
mentality.
"It's a natural combination," said
Shorer, whose organization receives
financial backing from United States
and European individuals and institu-
tions.
At least 10 Israeli textile companies,
including Delta Galil Industries and
Castro, have already set up shop in

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Jennifer Friedlin writes for the
Jerusalem Post Foreign Service.

Jordan, where labor costs about $150
per month per worker, compared to
nearly $1,000 in Israel. Now smaller,
independent businessmen and farmers
are looking to see what opportunities
lie across the river.
Squatting and rubbing Zahran's soil
through his farm-worn fingers,
Johanan Maoz, general manager of
Valley Farmers Center in Migdal
Ha'emek, said he was impressed by the
potential the Jordanian's land offers.
Not only does Zahran have acres of
undeveloped land, he also has water,
scarce and expensive in Israel. It cours-
es under the soil and is fully con-
trolled by the Zahran family.
"The land looks good," said Maoz,
as he packed up arid soil and water
•
samples to take back to Israel for qual-
ity checks.
Jordan's cheaper resources and
access to the Arab world could be a
boon for the troubled Israeli agricul-
ture industry. And the knowledge of
people like Maoz, a specialist in herb
growing, could enable Zahran to grow
high-quality foods for export.
"It could take us 100 years to get to
the technological stage the Israelis are
at," said Zahran. "By finding Israeli
partners, we can reduce this time."
Other Jordanians, like Isaa Matalka,
would then be interested in transport-
ing the goods between Jordan, Israel
and the Arab countries. Already,
Matalka says, his-trucks are entering
Israel, picking up goods in Haifa and
bringing them back across the border
before setting out for other Arab
states. Several Arab countries already
import Israeli high-tech and pharma-
ceutical products via Jordanian chan-
nels.
Since Jordan's industrialists tend to
have a wide range of holdings, one
business connection can sprout into a
number of ventures. Take Matalka:
For him, transporting goods across the
Sheikh Hussein passageway is just one
aspect of the relationship he hopes to
develop with Israel.
He is also interested in a joint ven-
ture with an Israeli fruit-juice and
concentrate manufacturer.
"We're looking for an Israeli partner
with expertise," he says, "and in
exchange, they will own a stake in the
company and produce juices under
their own name." Such an arrange-
ment, he adds, is not only a good
business proposition, but an auspi-
cious opportunity to strengthen the
relationship between the two coun-
tries.
"We've been fighting with each