The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Dec. 27, edition that Israel's government agreed to give Intel a $3.2-billion (U.S.) grant for a new $25-billion (U.S.) chip plant it plans to build in southern Israel. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that the expansion plan for Intel's Kiryat Gat site where it has an existing chip plant that is 42 kilometres from Hamas-controlled Gaza is an "important part of Intel's efforts to foster a more resilient global supply chain, alongside the company's ongoing and planned manufacturing investments in Europe and the United States, Intel said in a statement. Under chief executive officer Pat Gelsinger, Intel has invested billions in building factories across three continents to restore its dominance in chip-making and better compete with rivals Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia and Samsung Electronics. The new Israeli plant is the latest investment by Intel in recent years. Intel vice-president Daniel Benatar said, "Support from the Israel government will ensure that Israel remains a global centre of semiconductor technology and talent." Intel had previously received about $2-billion (U.S.) in the past 50 years in Israeli grants in other facilities there.