Israeli Company Bidding Hard to Build Trump’s Wall

By Naomi Zeveloff February 1, 2017

The Israeli company that built Israel’s border fence is making a play this week to construct U.S. President Donald Trump’s wall with Mexico.

According to Bloomberg, the U.S.-based unit of Magal Security Systems Ltd. presented at a January 31 conference on border security attended by officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The company, whose shares have risen almost 50% since Trump’s election, showcased a fiber-optic fencing system that it says is used in airports and seaports around the world. The company also built Israel’s border fence with Gaza and the West Bank.

“We have the right product and we have the experience in Israel that helps in showcasing our product,” Magal’s Chief Executive Officer Saar Koursh told Bloomberg.

Israel contends the fences keep Israel safe, while Palestinians say they are part of a system of collective punishment that limits freedom of movement.

Trump cited Israel an example of a nation that has stopped undocumented immigration in an interview with Fox News.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted about the fence’s effectiveness in a subsequent tweet.

President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel’s southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great success. Great idea ????

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) January 28, 2017

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected]

Naomi Zeveloff is the former Middle East correspondent of the Forward, primarily covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

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