Here is an explanation of Israel and the Institute for National Security Studies INSS in relation to the planned US-Israel quantum fund, based on the sources cited:
Israel’s Pivotal Role in the Proposed US-Israel Quantum Fund
With a $200 million projected budget, Israel is positioned as a major participant in the ambitious plan to create a joint US-Israel research fund for quantum computing. This fund is meant to promote cooperative initiatives with possible participation from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. This project aims to use Israel’s acknowledged superiority in quantum technology to further global interests and is more than just a financial collaboration.
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Israel’s Quantum Leadership and Ecosystem: The country is well known for being at the forefront of the worldwide quantum sector. The ‘density’ of quantum experts in Israel is six times higher than in the US, according to Dr. Smadar Itzkovich, one of the program’s founders. Significant investment demonstrates this robust ecosystem; Israel has established 79 authorized partnerships in the quantum domain and drawn over $667 million in finance from the quantum sector.
Quantum Machines and Classiq are Israeli industry leaders with significant funding. Israel is also a leader in quantum software solutions, which are crucial to quantum computing worldwide. US company PsiQuantum, which is building the world’s largest photonic quantum computer, and Israeli company Quantum which develops photonic quantum computer technologies, could ask for funding for a joint venture.
Challenges and Strategic Urgency for Israel: Israel has unique problems that highlight the need for this fund despite its quantum prowess. One major obstacle is the requirement for US security agency approval for collaborative development of quantum technology, which has hitherto been limited because of Israel’s unwillingness to oversee exports to China. Despite signing “Jerusalem” agreements for joint technical development during the Lapid government and coming near to such approval three years ago, the current Israeli government has given this topic little attention and has not pushed for the required laws and regulations.
Similar to CFIUS laws in the US, these rules would make it more difficult for technology to leak to China, prohibit government agencies from purchasing Chinese equipment, and increase oversight of intellectual property leaks from Israeli academic institutions to China. President Biden highlighted this inaction as the rationale for adding Israel to the list of nations whose graphics processor exports need to be closely watched.
Israel’s exclusion from recent Artificial intelligence deals announced in May between the United States, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia further heightened the urgency for it to participate in this fund. This omission stoked worries in Jerusalem that Israel would lose ground to other countries in the global competition for leadership in AI and quantum technology, particularly as Gulf governments quickly expand their capacities through international alliances.
Hadas Lorber, the head of the INSS project on enhancing ties between the US and Israel, says that if Israel is “not around the regional geo-technological table that dictates the new alliances, we simply will not be” and that the current geopolitical environment, which includes a supportive US Congress and regional momentum, creates a “perfect storm” for such collaborations.
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The Institute for National Security Studies INSS: A Key Promoter of the Fund
Promoting and developing the planned US-Israel quantum fund is a major responsibility of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a well-known non-governmental organisation with its headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel.
INSS’s Role and Involvement:
- Promoter and Initiator: Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman, the executive director of Tel Aviv University’s INSS and the former chief of Israel’s Military Intelligence, is vigorously promoting the concept for the joint US-Israel research fund for quantum computers. Along with members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, Hayman is advocating for the concept.
- Formulation of the Proposal: The INSS worked with Dr. Smadar Itzkovich, the creator and CEO of AIQ-Lab (AI & Quantum Sovereignty Lab), to develop the comprehensive proposal for the fund. This illustrates INSS’s ability to shape policy and have strategic vision in important technology areas.
- Advocacy and Engagement: Non-governmental organizations like AIQ and INSS are currently promoting the program. These organizations communicate with US senators, representatives, lobbies, and parallel institutes.
- Strengthening Israel-US Relations: Hadas Lorber, a former National Security Council officer, leads the INSS effort on Israel-US ties, emphasising the geopolitical context of this technological partnership.
- Expert Commentary: Dr. Ariel Sobelman and other top INSS scholars offer critical analysis and insights into the fund’s strategic significance, especially with regard to the Gulf countries’ complementary infrastructure.
The INSS’s participation highlights the quantum fund’s strategic importance by portraying it as an essential part of Israel’s national security and its relationships in a geopolitical environment that is changing quickly, rather than merely as a scientific activity.
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The Fund’s strategic objectives, backed by INSS and Israel: According to INSS, the proposed binational venture has a number of important strategic objectives:
- Repelling Chinese Ambitions: “Neutralising Chinese ambitions in the quantum field through access to advanced hardware” is one of the main objectives. This supports US initiatives to limit Chinese access to vital technologies and strengthen export regulations.
- Quantum Technology Commercialisation: The fund seeks to commercialise quantum innovations for real-world uses, like the creation of novel materials and medical applications.
- Strengthening Regional Alliances: Saudi Arabia leads the Abraham Accords recruitment push. A progressive extension from Abraham Accords backers like the UAE and Bahrain to Central Asian states like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and possibly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar is proposed.
- Reasserting US Global Influence: In the face of growing Chinese initiatives in quantum physics, the fund seeks to strengthen Israel’s position in the global innovation arena, forge closer ties throughout the Middle East, and restore US global influence.
Structure and Future Outlook:
Should the fund be authorised, it would be modelled after other successful collaborative research initiatives between the United States and Israel, including the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), the Binational Science Foundation (BSF), and the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. In this arrangement, between 2026 and 2030, the US and Israel would each contribute $100 million to cooperative business partnerships with private quantum firms.
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Budgets from the US CHIPS Act of 2022 may also be transferred to this fund. If completed, the project would run bi-nationally from offices in Arlington County, Virginia, and Tel Aviv. To enable long-term support, legislative action in the US and Israel is the next essential step. The fund could start supporting collaborative R&D projects and assisting in the establishment of regional research hubs by 2026 if it is authorized.
