US Group Wants Israel to Become Key Hub for Medical Supplies, Replacing China

A bipartisan, faith-based initiative in Alabama is spearheading a campaign to shift America’s dependency on China for medical supplies to Israel.

“National health security and national security are threatened by US dependence on China for thousands of ingredients and raw materials to make our medicines,” said Rosemary Gibson before a US congressional hearing. Gibson is the author of “China Rx: Exposing the Risks of America’s Dependence on China for Medicine.”

The global COVID-19 pandemic exposed just how vulnerable the US is regarding supply chains, especially for pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies. Months-long disruptions in the supply chain underscored the dire nature of America’s unhealthy heavy reliance on China for the inexpensive manufacturing of prescription drugs.

The Alabama-based non-profit “United States-Israel Education Association” is offering a practical step—shift the supply hub to Israel and out of China. The United States-Israel Education Association is urging Congress to open a US Food and Drug Administration office in Israel.

“We have to be able to protect our supply of necessary medical products to the United States,” Peter Pitts, a former associate FDA commissioner, said. “And, theoretically, by working with Israel, for example, or the United Arab Emirates or Morocco or Bahrain, we can move some of the manufacturing for these essential medical products out of China.”

Pitts added that medical supplies could be “manufactured in countries more friendly to the United States,” it would protect the US’s supply chain integrity.

US Senator Ted Cruz also is an advocate for partnering with Israel for US medical supplies.

“Our dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments is deeply problematic. By expanding partnerships with Israel – an ally and a global leader in medicine – to develop coronavirus treatments, this legislation is a commonsense step to address that threat,” Cruz said at the beginning of the pandemic in May 2020.

Asher Salmon, the international relations head for the Israel Health Ministry, is optimistic but uncertain what role Israel will play in the US medical supply chain.

Salmon said Israeli officials “are looking for closer ties between Israel and the FDA in any area that will contribute to Israeli interests. We are not sure what is the proper structure, whether opening an office in Israel will improve the situation or not improve it. We are open to discussions on how an office should be opened, if there is a need for an office to be opened, what it should contain in order to be effective.”

Ron Cantor

CEO of Tikkun Global

Tel Aviv, Israel