Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the head of the Israel Innovation Authority, Dr. Alon Stopel, signed a memorandum of understanding between Arkansas and Israel to facilitate business and economic development ties between the two entities on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Photo by Will Newton/Arkansas Governor’s Office)
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an agreement Wednesday between the state’s economic development commission and Israel’s National Technological Innovation Authority, her office announced Friday.
The memorandum of understanding “recognizes the longstanding friendship and shared values between the State of Arkansas and the State of Israel” and expresses the two entities’ mutual goal of “fostering research, development, and technological innovation,” according to Friday’s news release.
The agreement “is non-binding and does not create legal or financial obligations” for either party and will be valid for 10 years. Sanders signed the memorandum in Israel’s capital of Jerusalem as part of her trade mission to the Middle Eastern country this week.
Under the agreement, Arkansas and Israel will “support and promote exchanges and visits by delegations and businesses between both entities” and facilitate the exchange of information, attendance of economic development events and cooperative research and development projects.
Such projects would create “technologically innovative products or processes based on new innovative technologies to be commercialized in the global market,” according to the agreement.
“Implementation may include the organization of delegations, technical workshops, joint research initiatives, and investment forums,” the memorandum states.
Sanders has repeatedly expressed support for strengthening the relationship between Arkansas’ defense industry and Israel. In October 2023, Raytheon Technologies and Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense System partnered to build a $33 million missile plant in East Camden.
The missiles are part of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system and Skyhunter, the American equivalent, and production at the South Arkansas plant began this year.
South Arkansas is a hub of defense contracting, and American technology company L3Harris invested in a rocket motor production campus in Camden after Sanders met with company leaders in June. The meeting was part of a trade mission to France and Switzerland, and Sanders’ trip this week is her fifth international trade mission since taking office in January 2023.
Sanders has visited Israel several times throughout her life. Her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is the current U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Sanders also visited the United Arab Emirates this week. She met with UAE aerospace companies with the goal of bringing “more foreign investment and jobs to Arkansas,” she announced in July.
The governor will make an economic development announcement at 2 p.m. Monday at the state Capitol, her office announced Friday. The notice did not mention whether the announcement pertains to Sanders’ Middle East trip.
To view this story, or more news updates from Arkansas Advocate, click here.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI