Who are the 100 "leaders of the economy" who are so worried that they have packed their bags and flown en masse to the Swiss ski resort of Davos to talk about a peace agreement with the Palestinians? Who amongst these "heads of the economy" who will convene om the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum to declare that "the conflict harms the people's pockets… If Israel wants a stable economy and wants a better future and continued to growth in the future, we must urgently reach a settlement with the Palestinians," is really so worried about "people's pockets"?
How many of them, or the friends-supporters-leaders, who remain in the country have carried out debt write-offs? How many are planning haircuts? How many people's pension savings have been wrecked by them? How many of them have spoken out against the haircutters who are part of their circle? How many of them abuse their power and ties? Which of them controls the monopoly, the cartel, the power that generates inflated prices and an insane cost of living? Which and how many of them enjoy exorbitant tax breaks, which were kept secret until they were exposed by media and court pressure, and shocked the country just a few months ago? Who amongst them raise prices, but never lower them, just because they can?
Who and how many of them pay real tax rates? How many of them benefit from the advice of top lawyers and accountants who prepare aggressive tax plans for them? Which of them has, and does not have, accounts in tax havens or companies registered in tax havens, which is of course legal, but which in practice means that they are sending taxes out of their beloved country about which they are so worried, and putting the money into private accounts far, far away?
How many of them work with expert labor lawyers to arrange/justify/excuse employees' salaries that are as low as possible? At which of them are the salaries of the executives who do their bidding hundreds or even thousands of percent higher than the salaries of their workers on the production lines? Which of them discriminates against women when it comes to salaries?
How many of them have found the time and a reason to convene here, in the Holy Land, to think, discuss, consider, express sympathy, honesty, and deep concern about proposals to correct the severe ills of the economy, and not just proposals that are convenient and profitable for them? How many of them talk about the stricter regulation, the incited public that considers them exploiters - but are not willing to listen or to change their good old indecent habits?
How many of them are unable or unwilling to adapt to the changing economic reality in Israel or the world? How many of them cannot manage, cannot understand the social protest and the declining prestige of the tycoons and business elites? How many of them are engaged in pressuring the governor of the Bank of Israel, the prime minister, and the finance minister to support the shekel-dollar exchange rate, to amend laws, and write new laws that benefit them?
"Breaking the Impasse at Davos" stated the press release on Sunday, which related how "a special delegation of 100 top Israeli businesspeople will go to Davos to promote a diplomatic settlement and the two states solution." Eleven names were mentioned. An unoriginal Israeli salad: women, academics, military men, right, left, Ashkenazi, Mizrahi, high tech, low tech…
Were they only to bother to break the stagnation in the Israeli economy - what wonderful force that could be.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 21, 2014
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2014