On January 30th 2011, the Israeli government approved the national initiative for the development of petroleum alternatives in transportation, which was planned by a committee of general managers of various ministries and headed by the head of the National Economic Council, Prof. Eugene Kandel. The initiative includes a 10-year budget, and aims to create an Israeli industry which will serve as a world catalyst to reduce oil dependence in transportation. The initiative is headed by a dedicated senior program manager in the Prime Minister's Office, and includes financing of targeted basic research (including the creation of "excellence centers"), support for industrial R&D and project finance, and regulatory assistance through a designated one stop shop. It applies many resources for the promotion of international cooperation in this global issue.
The management team, headed by Mr. Sagi Dagan, has begun working in the Prime Minister's office on these issues.
Address by PM Netanyahu at the AIPAC Policy Conference:
"Israel and America are also cooperating to end the world's worst addiction, the addiction to oil. This dependence fuels terrorism. It poisons the planet. So we've launched a 10-year program in Israel to kick the habit, to find a substitute for gasoline -- -- and if we succeed, we can change the world. We can change history."