By MAAYAN JAFFE
Baltimore Jewish Examiner

To find out good news about Israel, the headlines are rarely the place to look. Politics, the peace process and security issues invade the latest news. What people don’t know is that the good news in Israel is its technology. Hardware, software and devices from Israel are running a lot of our modern high-tech equipment.

In Maryland, one organization, the Maryland/Israel Development center focuses on fostering economic ties and development between Israel and local companies, and on bridging the information gap between what the general U.S. entrepreneur knows about Israel and the Jewish state’s business reality. Barry Bogage, MIDC’s executive director, helped found the organization almost two decades ago.

“The headlines are biased against Israel. What I say is, ‘Let’s forget about the headlines. You have a business and you are looking to make money. Meet Shlomo, you can guys can make money together,’” explained Bogage. “The U.S. business person gets to meet an Israeli who is not a fire-breathing dragon, but a nice guy and a part of an educated community of Israeli innovators. It’s putting the human face on Israel.”

Bogage said the meeting and often collaboration has a reverberating effect. That entrepreneur talks to his family, friends and co-workers about the business deal, which reflects positively on Israel.

As part of the MIDC’s efforts, Bogage brings leading Israeli companies in the life sciences, data management and other hi-tech arenas to Maryland for important conferences, where they can meet potential investors and partners. Next month, for example, roughly one dozen medical device companies will attend AdvaMed 2010: The MedTech Conference as part of an MIDC delegation. According to Bogage, it is likely that at least a handful of those companies will secure research and/or marketing agreements following collaborative discussions with the big U.S. life science players. This achieves his dual goal of bolstering Israel’s economy and advocating for the Jewish state.

In the spring, Bogage plans to partner with the State of Maryland to host a Cyber Security delegation. Instead of preaching to the choir, he’s working with people who rarely think about and likely know little about Israel.

MIDC also runs missions to Israel for interested entrepreneurs and those in Maryland who could benefit from learning more about Israel’s work. Five years ago, MIDC flew the Maryland Director of Homeland Security to Israel as part of a lager delegation.

“They were nervous, but they came back on cloud nine,” he said. “If you are the least bit intellectually curious, these is so much to see, learn, do and then develop in Israel.”

Allen Shay, CEO of the Security Technology Institute, a non-profit based in Maryland that works to promote development of Maryland as a cyber security epicenter, went to Israel with MIDC last spring. He said he was not biased against Israel before his trip, but his eyes were certainly opened to the innovative works of Israeli scientists and entrepreneurs.

“The people I met with were bright, motivated people, and had all the characteristics I like to see in entrepreneurs,” he said. “I had heard Israel’s security and security technology industries were very well-developed, and this was proven.”

Shay say he wouldn’t consider himself “an advocate” for any country, but he is certainly now an advocate for Israel’s technology community and he is spreading the word.

“I saw in Israel that there are clearly technology companies that have very interesting and leading new technologies that will indeed end up being a factor in the U.S.,” he said. “I am very much an advocate now for the industry there.”