Georgia’s Economy, Security Depend on Safe & Supported Israel

Hearts are breaking, and families are hurting worldwide at the sight of the extreme violence and terror being experienced in Israel right now. As a father and a Christian, I am devastated. As Georgia’s Labor Commissioner and a businessman,

I am highly concerned economically. Not only has Israel been a staunch ally of the United States in our battle against terrorism, but the state of Georgia has created a robust economic partnership with Israel and Israeli companies. As Israel’s war against the terrorist organization Hamas continues, Georgia’s economy could be negatively affected.

The leaders of our country must do all they can to hold Hamas accountable for the wreckage they have created and continue to ensue upon the Israeli people. As leaders in Georgia, we must convey to our citizens the crucial and strategic relationship between our state and Israel.

Georgia is home to 26 Israeli-owned companies which together employ over a thousand people. These companies range from manufacturing to software, cybersecurity, and several other sectors. As Georgia leads the country economically, we owe immense thanks to the Israeli people who chose to bring their companies to our state.

In addition to hosting these Israeli companies, Georgia has a phenomenal trade relationship with Israel. Last year, Israel imported $332.5 million worth of goods from our state. Similarly, we relied on Israel for $841.8 million of goods imported for our citizens. Georgia is the sixth most reliant American state on Israeli goods. Of the 50 American states, Georgia ranks 8th in goods exported to Israel.

Overall, that’s a trade value of $1.2 billion that we have benefited from as we continue to see growth in our economic partnership with Israel (these statistics show a 50 percent growth in overall trade between Georgia and Israel since 2018).

This reliance on each other for goods is made possible in part by the port in Savannah that runs two lines per week from South Georgia to Haifa. It is difficult to precisely determine the economic and labor impact of the Israeli-Georgia relationship, but we know the trade routes’ vast influence. Major industries such as trucking and logistics, gasoline, and local port labor rely directly on the Israeli-Georgia port route. These are not just our valuable partners but our supporters.

Let’s put the economic benefits aside. We also have Israel to thank for their efforts to help us lead the country in cybersecurity, as Israel fuels the intelligence hub in Augusta with an intelligence-sharing partnership. Israel works with Georgia’s intelligence industry to ensure our safety and security and that of our nation. Israeli leadership has made it clear that the safety of all Americans is a genuine concern for them.

The economics behind our state’s relationship with Israel is essential to me because, as Georgia’s Labor Commissioner, I know how important our state’s economy is for the well-being of our residents. What Hamas has done is terrible from a humanitarian perspective, but the economic implications of their terror could profoundly impact the financial and security status of our state. We must hold Hamas accountable and end their reign of anguish over Israel. Our state’s relationship with Israel, our major economic partner and investor in our state’s security, tremendously depends on it.

Bruce Thompson is the Labor Commissioner for the State of Georgia.

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