VP Harris touts new $70m US-Israel initiative to back ‘climate-smart’ agritech

WASHINGTON — Standing alongside a visiting President Isaac Herzog, US Vice President Kamala Harris announces a new joint five-year initiative between the US and Israel in which each country will invest up to $35 million “to support climate-smart agriculture through innovative technologies and improved capture, storage, use, and protection of critical water resources in the Middle East and Africa.

“This investment in innovative solutions for sustainable food production and water use augments existing cooperation between our two countries and will help build resilient food systems and address the climate crisis around the globe,” she says.

“Options for impact programming will potentially include employing these technologies alongside partners, such as Negev Forum and I2U2 participants, bringing existing technologies or techniques to scale, expanding access to certain tech tools or apps, and/or investing in training, technical assistance, and education,” a White House official said earlier.

Harris makes the comments in front of reporters ahead of her private meeting with Herzog.

The White House official said that Harris will raise in her meeting with Herzog “the climate crisis and food security, the threats posed by Iran, Israel’s normalization with countries in the region, Palestinian issues including security in the West Bank, combatting antisemitism and strengthening our democracies and democratic institutions.”

In his subsequent remarks, Herzog recalls hosting Harris in Israel when she was a US senator and predicting that she would rise the ranks in US politics.

“I’m so happy I was right,” says a smiling Herzog.

“I am too,” Harris quips in return.

The Israeli president thanks Harris and her husband Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff for their efforts to combat antisemitism.

He adds that “Israel’s hand is extended and our hearts are open to any partner in peace near and far.”

Herzog emphasizes his support for regional and global cooperation to combat climate change, noting his own efforts to bring Israelis from across the political spectrum together to address the phenomenon.