Shai Agassi of the Better Place, a Tel
Aviv company working hard to electrify
the car, shows Gov. Granholm the bat-
tery in one of his company's vehicles.
Water Shortage Critical
Jerusalem/JTA — Israel could begin
"I think there's great opportunity for an expanded partnership between
Michigan and Israel in the areas centered around the governor's agenda for
- Mark Davidoff, one of the mission's organizers
the renewed economy of Michigan."
In fact, Granholm cut her mission short,
scaling back her post-Israel visit to Jordan
from two days to one day, so she could
be in Washington on Nov. 20 to testify on
behalf of the embattled Detroit automak-
ers seeking federal loans to stop their
financial freefall.
Selling Michigan
The Michigan delegation also visited the Tel
Aviv headquarters of Perrigo Israel, a health
sciences company that has a west Michigan
location. Last summer, Perrigo announced
a $25 million Michigan expansion. It
expects to further grow here.
"Those were exciting moments, listen-
ing to Perrigo's Rafi Lebel and telling him
that we are ready to help them grow their
business and grow new jobs right now','
Granholm said. "We already have a great
working relationship, but this trip is all
about building on our links."
The day the IN interviewed Granholm,
she was en route from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
by bus, traversing the Judean hills. The
delegation had just visited the giant Israeli
homeland security and defense contrac-
tor Elbit Israel. t's a $2.4-billion a year
enterprise controlling 40 percent of defense
sales in Israel. The chairman of Elbit North
America is Joe Parini of Grand Rapids.
"They have a great opportunity to see
their technology transfer from the defense
industry to the auto industry," Granholm
said.
The evening of Nov. 18, her last
day in Israel before moving on to
Jordan, Granholm, her team and other
Michiganians visiting Israel attended a
reception at the Herzliya Petach home
of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel James
Cunningham. The guest list included
Detroiter Bill Berman, who celebrated his
91st birthday at the affair.
"It really has been a very special, very
wonderful trip," Granholm said. "I feel very
moved."
Other Takes
Mark Davidoff of West Bloomfield is the
Detroit-based lead client service partner
on the State of Michigan account for
Deloitte & Touche Financial Advisory
Services LLP. He helped shape the gover-
nor's itinerary.
"I'm honored to have helped plan and
execute this trip;' Davidoff said after
Granholm passed her cell phone to him.
Davidoff was integrally involved last May
when the mission originally was scheduled.
It was postponed after the governor had
emergency bowel obstruction surgery just
before her planned departure.
"I think there's great opportunity for an
expanded partnership between Michigan
and Israel in the areas centered around the
governor's agenda for the renewed economy
of Michigan," Davidoff said.
Chuck Newman of Ann Arbor, founder,
CEO and president of ReCellular Inc., a
Dexter-based mega recycler and reseller
of cell phones and accessories, is president
of the Michigan Israel Business Bridge.
When Davidoff passed the governor's cell
phone to him, Newman remarked about the
rationing household water usage as
early as the spring, the head of its
water authority said.
Uri Shani, the director of
Government Water and Sewage, told
the Israeli Cabinet that the last four
years of below-average rainfall and
predictions for more of the same in
the next two years means that cuts in
allocations of water for agriculture will
not be enough to prevent the nation's
water sources from becoming contam-
inated and household water rationing
will follow.
The Cabinet met Nov.16 just to dis-
cuss the emergency water situation.
"We are facing a serious problem,"
Olmert told the Cabinet after being
presented with data showing a pro-
jected water shortage next year of 1
billion cubic meters.
"According to the data, there will
be a shortage that could disrupt the
way of life of the entire country in
a few years if we do not deal with it
now."
At the meeting, the Cabinet voted
unanimously to speed up the con-
struction of a desalination plant in
Ashdod by halting the tender process.
Olmert also instructed the Finance
Ministry to investigate ways to pur-
chase more desalinated water.
governor's unbridled pace. "She has great
energy and we're utilizing every ounce of it','
he said.
Newman likes the mission's long-range
outlook. "It's pretty clear to many of us," he
said, "that the governor has the president-
elect's ear. I think a lot of what she learned
here has value not just for Michigan, but
America as well. And I think this message
is going to get passed along."
Granholm is on President-elect Barack
Obama's transition team.
The Michigan Israel Business Bridge is
primed for a busy 2009.
"I'm feeling elation mixed with trepida-
tion," Newman said."I'm contemplating the
incredible opportunities from the mission.
At the same time, I know it would be a
shande [disgrace] if we did not follow up
very aggressively. That's going to require a
huge amount of work for the MEDC and
the Michigan Israel Business Bridge. But
that's an awfully good problem to have.
"We've got lots of exciting stories yet to
tell." 0
November 27 • 2008
A15