On his first visit to Israel, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates pledged to strengthen hi-tech cooperation with the country. "It's no exaggeration to say that the kind of innovation going on in Israel is critical to the future of the technology business," he said. Gates signed an agreement with the Israeli government to support local start up companies. And in a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, he launched a project to donate 250,000 computers to underprivileged Israeli children over the next five years.