Apple to Build Semiconductor R&D Center in Israel?

Im not sure if apple should develop anything in Israel based off the conflicts in that area, I'm just thinking that even though that company is based there moving the company and building a center in a country with less tensions might be a better idea.

I agree. I am keeping politics out of it. I am just slightly concerned that one of my larger holdings is investing in a war zone. (Not that I don't own a few Israeli stocks, I just like to keep it out of the mainstream part of my portfolio.)

I travel to Israel for business and pleasure several times a year and not once did I ever witness anything unsafe. In fact, I feel more unsafe in parts of NYC than I ever did anywhere in Israel. Herzliya where all the tech centers exist, (kind of Israel's silicon valley) is extremely safe. Why else would Google, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, and TI have offices there (I think TI since closed up shop but not due to terrorism)

Glad to know that Apple is investing in such a safe, stable part of the world.

I guess it's easier to deal with terrorists around Israel than unions around Cupertino.

Im not sure if apple should develop anything in Israel based off the conflicts in that area, I'm just thinking that even though that company is based there moving the company and building a center in a country with less tensions might be a better idea.

Intel, Motorola, and a number of other high-tech companies have R&D in Israel. I think it's about a half-hour north of Tel Aviv, is a small city that's the "Silicon Vally of Israel".

It's a very stable area. Most of the news reports find that reporting, "And nothing happened today" doesn't get them viewership, so you get reports of terrorism, etc. I have visited and felt safer in the country than most other places— the West Bank and Gaza Strip excepted. At the risk of this becoming political, the country is very stable outside of those two area and arguably relatively stable in those areas when you look over the last 100 years!

Thrilled to hear Apple is getting on the Israeli bandwagon. Many hi-tech companies have offices in Israel and it is often referred to as the "Start Up Nation."

This actually makes a lot of sense. Israel has an exceptional reputation in the semiconductor and start-up arenas. Intel's first fab outside the US was in Israel and Intel still has a huge presence there, which is focused particularly on mobile processors. Israel's top engineering school, the Technion, is world-class and the country has something like the highest percentage of engineers per capita. These are engineers who have an excellent grasp of English and American culture.

The regional tensions are an issue, but to a certain extent they are background noise - Israel's high-tech sector is concentrated on the Mediterranean coast where suicide terrorism has really not been an issue in recent years. Another prolonged conflict with Hezbollah would definitely create chaos (the last one in 2006 shut down much of the north of Israel for a few weeks) but the day to day events of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict aren't necessarily felt much in the bubble of Tel Aviv or Haifa. On the other hand, conflict does tend to have a dampening effect on economies, so there's an opportunity to pick up very talented people without as much competition as there is in, say, Silicon Valley.

I thought it said they building in Israel? Not Gaza where those terrorist swine fire rockets at Civilians intentionally and cross the border and stab the Fogel family to death even the 2 month old daughter while she was being held in her dying fathers arms. Or the two year old boy that was shot at point blank between the eyes? Gazans die because they fire rockets from populated areas intentionally to increase collateral damage. I WORKED IN GAZA FOR TWO YEARS. I have first hand experience, not what is being birthed from the propaganda machines. Israelis tax dollars go directly to Palestinian infrastructure, I've never witnessed such kindness that gets such reprehensible violence in return. I quit and left that awful place called Gaza.

I live about 20 minutes outside of Herzliya, and I know for a fact it is the Silicon Valley of the Middle East. There are no bombings, terrorism... it's a very safe place to live.

If Russia ever gets a legitimate rule of law, look for Apple to move in fast.

All the smart Russians have already moved to Israel (possibly the first time in history that people have pretended to be Jewish to escape persecution).