Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Sgt. Noel Williams/U.S. Army National Guard via Wikimedia Commons
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen visits with members of the 72nd Civil Support Team of the Nebraska National Guard at the D.C. Armory in Washington D.C., on Jan. 19, 2025
(JNS) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, plans to lead a trade mission to Israel from Oct. 27 to 30, his office stated.
The trip will include representatives from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Jewish Federation of Omaha employees and agriculture and manufacturing leaders promoting Nebraska-made kosher beef, according to Pillen’s office.
According to the governor’s office, Nebraska provides 99% of U.S. beef exports to Israel — an estimated $13.5 million in 2024. From this January to July, Nebraska beef exports to Israel rose 27% year-over-year.
On the trip, Nebraskans will “encourage agricultural technology partnerships and develop relationships with civil associations,” per the governor’s office, and the governor will “hold ‘high-level’ diplomatic meetings and discuss Israel’s reliance on U.S. defense technologies.”
“The delegation will also have an opportunity to see humanitarian work in Israel being supported by organizations in Nebraska,” his office stated.
Nebraska maintains strong cultural and academic connections with Israel, and its universities — including the University of Nebraska Omaha, University of Nebraska Lincoln and Creighton University — jointly hold an annual symposium on Jewish civilization.
“High-quality beef produced in Nebraska is sold in supermarkets and steakhouses worldwide — from South Korea and Japan in East Asia, to Israel in the Middle East, to the Czech Republic and Germany in Europe,” per the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
