Netanyahu agreed with “greatest technological visionary” that the Negev is the “energy future of the State of Israel” and vowed to develop it.

By: World Israel News Staff and TPS

Speaking at the 8th Negev Conference in Dimona Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he met earlier with Elon Musk, founder and CEO of electrical and autonomic car company Tesla Inc. and aerospace company SpaceX, who encouraged development of the Negev.

“This morning, before coming here, I met with Elon Musk, a man of vision, perhaps the greatest technological visionary of our time. He is a genius,” Netanyahu told the crowd.

Musk, 46,  praised Israel as a ‘technological power’ and said the Negev could provide the country with all its energy needs, Netanyahu said.

Musk “said that he appreciates what we are doing here. And then he said – and he did not know I was coming here – he told me, ‘The Negev could provide you with all your energy needs. The Negev is the energy future of the State of Israel. You could spread solar systems here that would give you more energy than you need or could need. Clean energy.’”

“I tell you what he told me,” the prime minister continued. “‘If you only want it,’ and I tell you that I want it. I want a vibrant, flourishing and developing Negev. And we will continue to do this, to develop it as has never been done in the history of Israel.”

Musk revealed his visit to Israel Monday night when, at the popular Gatsby’s cocktail bar in the Israeli capital, he posted on Instagram that he was “learning how to pour flaming absinthe over a tower of glasses in a Jerusalem speakeasy.”

Early Tuesday Musk posted a photo of himself at Masada, tweeting “Paid respects to Masada earlier today. Live free or die.”

A report in the Globes financial website suggested that Musk was in Israel to discuss cooperation between local computerized vision company Cortica and his Tesla electric car venture.

Cortica declined to comment on the report, Globes said.

Tesla also has a solar roof division launched last year, which produces solar tiles for residential buildings. Musk has claimed that the entire United States could be powered by solar energy. “If you wanted to power the entire US with solar panels,” he said, “it would take a fairly small corner of Nevada or Texas or Utah; you only need about 100 miles by 100 miles of solar panels to power the entire United States.”

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More than 10,000 police officers will protect Trump during his upcoming visit, in coordination with the Israel Security Agency and US Secret Service. 

More than 10,000 police officers will secure US President Donald Trump during his visit to Israel next week as part of an operation dubbed “Blue Shield,” according to a report on Friday in Walla, an Israeli news outlet. 

The diverse officers assigned to protect Trump belong to special patrols, undercover units, border police and counterterrorism units. 

Security officials are working in coordination with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the US Secret Service. After Trump steps down at Ben-Gurion Airport, he will be transported to Jerusalem by helicopter, where he is scheduled to visit the Western Wall and perhaps Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum as well.

Police have an alternative plan in case of inclement weather, which is to bring the US president to Jerusalem on Israel’s main highway connecting Tel Aviv with the capital. The contingency plan would undoubtedly cause a headache for Israeli travelers.

Traffic disruptions are already expected in Jerusalem as roads will be closed down during Trump’s stay in the capital.

High security will also be necessary during Trump’s visit to the more isolated landmark of Masada, located south of Jerusalem near the Dead Sea.

Police will be operating in a command headquarters center at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center, located near the main entrance to the capital.

By: World Israel News Staff

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