U.S. and Israel Establish Nonbinding Strategic Partnership on AI and Critical Technologies

“Pax Silica” is a U.S.-led international initiative to build secure, resilient and “trusted” supply chains for advanced technologies—especially semiconductors, AI infrastructure, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and related energy and data infrastructure. It is coordinated by the U.S. State Department and launched via the non‑binding Pax Silica Declaration.

Beyond the United States and Israel, current signatory countries include: Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Additional participants or invited partners (not all signatories) include Canada, the European Union, Taiwan, India, and organizations such as the OECD in observer roles.

The U.S.–Israel Joint Economic Development Group (JEDG) is the main annual bilateral economic policy dialogue between the two governments. Its general role and mandate are to:

• Review economic conditions in both countries and discuss possible economic reforms in Israel, including those linked historically to U.S. loan guarantees.
• Serve as a high‑level forum to coordinate economic policy and deepen the broader strategic and economic partnership.
• Cover a wide agenda—such as macroeconomic outlook, regional economic development, strengthening the Palestinian economy, financial cybersecurity, and green‑economy investment—depending on current priorities.

In the new AI/critical‑technology framework, the JEDG is designated as the primary steering committee to guide implementation.

The Artemis Accords are a non‑binding set of principles, grounded in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, that structure civil space cooperation among the United States, Israel, and other signatories. They do this by:

• Establishing shared principles for peaceful, transparent space activities, including: peaceful purposes, transparency in plans and policies, interoperability of systems, emergency assistance to astronauts, registration of space objects, timely release of scientific data, protecting space heritage sites, responsible use of space resources, deconfliction of activities via “safety zones,” and mitigation of orbital debris.
• Providing a political framework (not a treaty) for how signatories cooperate in lunar and deep‑space missions, especially those linked to NASA’s Artemis program.
• Including Israel as one of more than 50 signatories, which means U.S.–Israel civil space projects are expected to follow these common principles for safety, data sharing, and coordination.

International agreements that aim to protect sensitive research and technologies typically build in a mix of legal and practical safeguards, such as:

• Export‑control and sanctions compliance: committing parties to follow or harmonize export‑control rules (e.g., on dual‑use items, advanced chips, or encryption) and to screen foreign partners, destinations, and end‑uses.
• Research‑security programs: requirements or expectations for institutions to assess risks in international collaboration, manage potential theft or misuse of IP and critical technologies, and apply risk‑based controls (e.g., vetting, monitoring, limiting access to sensitive facilities or data).
• Technology‑control and data‑protection measures: secure data environments, access controls for classified or controlled research, cybersecurity requirements, and contractual protections for intellectual property and confidential information.
• Governance and review: joint committees or review processes to coordinate on sensitive projects, share threat information, and adjust controls as risks evolve.

These safeguards are reflected in U.S. research‑security frameworks and export‑control guidance, and are the kind of measures implied by the U.S.–Israel statement’s emphasis on “protection of sensitive technologies” and a “secure and trusted research environment.”

The new strategic framework is non‑binding and explicitly does not change law or commit funding, so it does not by itself rewrite U.S. or Israeli AI rules. Its likely effects are indirect, by steering how each country develops and applies its policies:

United States

• The framework reinforces U.S. priorities on AI safety, security, and research‑security (e.g., managing risks of theft or misuse of advanced models and chips), which are already reflected in federal guidance and research‑security initiatives, even after the 2023 AI executive order was later rescinded.
• It encourages alignment with Israel (and other Pax Silica partners) on standards for trustworthy AI, export controls on high‑end compute, and protection of critical infrastructure and data.

Israel

• Israel’s 2023 national policy on AI regulation and ethics emphasizes “responsible innovation” and a sector‑based approach rather than an EU‑style omnibus AI act. The framework is likely to reinforce that approach while pushing for stronger safeguards around sensitive dual‑use technologies and research security.
• As a “Pax Silica node,” Israel is expected to coordinate more closely with U.S. positions on AI safety, data protection in strategic sectors, and restrictions on sharing critical technologies with high‑risk actors.

Overall, the framework mainly signals policy direction: more joint R&D and investment in AI and chips, coupled with tighter, better‑coordinated controls on sensitive technologies, rather than new binding AI regulations by itself.

Integrating Israel’s research ecosystem as a “Pax Silica node” is meant to:

• Plug Israel’s universities, labs, and tech companies into the broader Pax Silica network for joint R&D and co‑investment in AI, semiconductors, space, energy, robotics, and materials science.
• Treat Israel as a secure, trusted hub within this network—emphasizing research security and protection of sensitive technologies while enabling high‑value collaboration.
• Advance Pax Silica’s overall goals of more resilient, diversified technology supply chains and shared economic growth by leveraging Israel’s established strengths in innovation, chips, cybersecurity, and AI.

The joint statement describes the node explicitly as a way to “advance the objectives of this framework,” and the broader Pax Silica materials frame such nodes as part of a secure, innovation‑driven technology ecosystem among “trusted partners.”