INNOVATION BUILDS BRIDGES, NOT WALLS.

by the shortage of water — is the real enemy, he says. “Poverty invites extremism.”

His motto is “Yalla!” — an Arabic word that means “Let’s move.” He is pushing for a co-ordinated, collaborative approach to innovation throughout the Mediterranean basin — from Casablanca to Barcelona; Istanbul; Dubai; Cairo and Ramallah, the administrative capital of Palestine. He envisions creating technology hubs and infrastructure projects to solve big problems — from economic development and airport security to water desalination and the environment. It’s significant that he names cities, not countries, as his partners — because local officials can work together in ways that national politicians may not. “The next generation wants to work together to solve these problems,” he says. “Governments Erel Margalit