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1. Jewish Lobby? US Jews Help Save Pro-Hamas Flotilla
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
American Jews comprise more than 25 percent of the pro-Hamas flotilla that aims to challenge the IDF on the high seas and reach Hamas-backed Gaza, throwing cold water on the allegation of a unified pro-Israel “Jewish lobby” in the United States.
"It's important that Jews are in this boat... The Jewish lobby in this country is so powerful," New York Jewish labor attorney Richard Levy told media agencies.
Comments by the Jews reflect mis-information that is omnipresent in mainstream media, particularly when referring to the supposed “blockade” on Gaza in order to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, explosives and terrorists whose aim is to attack Israel civilians and soldiers.
Israel imposed a partial blockade after Hamas’ terrorist militia ousted the rival Fatah faction in a bloody war more than four years ago. Thousands of tons of humanitarian aid were allowed through land crossings, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last year canceled the blockade on all goods except for material that can be used for the Hamas terrorist infrastructure.
The maritime embargo remains in effect because of the ease with which Hamas can use fishing boats to bring into Gaza weapons from Iran and Syria.
The American Jews on the flotilla, like millions of other people, still refer to the “Israel blockade,” which Levy said is “morally and juridically unsupportable.” He then made an inexplicable connection to “slaughter,” stating that “no more people should be slaughtered in the name of the Jews."
The Americans hope to sale from Greece on "The Audacity of Hope” this week with the announced intention of breaking the maritime embargo, but Israeli military commanders have said that the goal of the pro-Hamas organizers behind the flotilla is to try to force the IDF into a clash, similar to last year's confrontation with Turkish-based IHH terror activists.
The Americans undoubtedly are not looking for a fight but are part of a larger community of American Jews who are unfamiliar with Israel but whose idea of the Jewish state is one that adopts Christian values of “turning the other cheek.”
Jewish activist Leslie Cogan told the French news agency AFP, the flotilla is "a cargo of friendship, a cargo of peace."
Last week, Jewish anti-Zionists in London rallied in memory of the nine IHH members who were killed by Israeli Navy commandos last year after brutally attacking the soldiers, who reached the deck of the Mavi Mamara ship virtually unarmed except for paint guns and small revolvers.
After last year’s clash on the high seas, the leader of the German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East said the group actually wants to “preserve” Israel.
"Some see what we are doing as a betrayal. But the question is what do they really know about the whole thing. Some people don't want to be educated," Kate Katzenstein-Leiterer told the German news agency DPA.
In contrast to the American Jews’ efforts for the flotilla, pressure from French Jews prevented the departure of a ship to Gaza, according to the Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman.
Comment on this story
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
American Jews comprise more than 25 percent of the pro-Hamas flotilla that aims to challenge the IDF on the high seas and reach Hamas-backed Gaza, throwing cold water on the allegation of a unified pro-Israel “Jewish lobby” in the United States.
"It's important that Jews are in this boat... The Jewish lobby in this country is so powerful," New York Jewish labor attorney Richard Levy told media agencies.
Comments by the Jews reflect mis-information that is omnipresent in mainstream media, particularly when referring to the supposed “blockade” on Gaza in order to prevent the smuggling of advanced weapons, explosives and terrorists whose aim is to attack Israel civilians and soldiers.
Israel imposed a partial blockade after Hamas’ terrorist militia ousted the rival Fatah faction in a bloody war more than four years ago. Thousands of tons of humanitarian aid were allowed through land crossings, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last year canceled the blockade on all goods except for material that can be used for the Hamas terrorist infrastructure.
The maritime embargo remains in effect because of the ease with which Hamas can use fishing boats to bring into Gaza weapons from Iran and Syria.
The American Jews on the flotilla, like millions of other people, still refer to the “Israel blockade,” which Levy said is “morally and juridically unsupportable.” He then made an inexplicable connection to “slaughter,” stating that “no more people should be slaughtered in the name of the Jews."
The Americans hope to sale from Greece on "The Audacity of Hope” this week with the announced intention of breaking the maritime embargo, but Israeli military commanders have said that the goal of the pro-Hamas organizers behind the flotilla is to try to force the IDF into a clash, similar to last year's confrontation with Turkish-based IHH terror activists.
The Americans undoubtedly are not looking for a fight but are part of a larger community of American Jews who are unfamiliar with Israel but whose idea of the Jewish state is one that adopts Christian values of “turning the other cheek.”
Jewish activist Leslie Cogan told the French news agency AFP, the flotilla is "a cargo of friendship, a cargo of peace."
Last week, Jewish anti-Zionists in London rallied in memory of the nine IHH members who were killed by Israeli Navy commandos last year after brutally attacking the soldiers, who reached the deck of the Mavi Mamara ship virtually unarmed except for paint guns and small revolvers.
After last year’s clash on the high seas, the leader of the German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East said the group actually wants to “preserve” Israel.
"Some see what we are doing as a betrayal. But the question is what do they really know about the whole thing. Some people don't want to be educated," Kate Katzenstein-Leiterer told the German news agency DPA.
In contrast to the American Jews’ efforts for the flotilla, pressure from French Jews prevented the departure of a ship to Gaza, according to the Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman.
Comment on this story
2. Gantz: IDF Units Free to Choose Yizkor Formula
by Gil Ronen
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz has apparently taken a step back from his statement that the IDF’s official Yizkor memorial text contains a reference to G-d.
In response to queries from journalists and an online petition with close to 50,000 signers, Gantz issued a clarification saying that while the Yizkor text with the reference to G-d was formulated immediately after the Six Day War, “every unit is allowed to choose its own formula, whether it begins with ‘May G-d remember His sons and daughters…’ or ‘May the Nation of Israel remember its sons and daughters...’
The online petition was initiated by Yehudit Bialer, whose son Yoram was killed in 1948. “Yoram was a 21 year old youth and he knew that he was defending his homeland,” she wrote. “It is important for me to know that the nation he belongs to and that he loved, will remember him.”
Veteran television journalist Menashe Raz discovered what he claimed was a change in the Yizkor, from a secular text written by socialist Zionist founder Berl Katznelson, to the one that turns to G-d. However, in his latest statement on the matter, the Chief of Staff insists that there has been no change in the text since 1967, and that it has always invoked G-d.
The controversy can be seen as an expression of a complex transition Israeli society is making, from a secular and often stridently anti-religious ideology under the socialist founders, to a more G-d fearing general outlook. Most of the prominent pioneer socialist Zionists -- though definitely not all of them -- saw the State and Nation as sacred, but were not religious.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz has apparently taken a step back from his statement that the IDF’s official Yizkor memorial text contains a reference to G-d.
In response to queries from journalists and an online petition with close to 50,000 signers, Gantz issued a clarification saying that while the Yizkor text with the reference to G-d was formulated immediately after the Six Day War, “every unit is allowed to choose its own formula, whether it begins with ‘May G-d remember His sons and daughters…’ or ‘May the Nation of Israel remember its sons and daughters...’
The online petition was initiated by Yehudit Bialer, whose son Yoram was killed in 1948. “Yoram was a 21 year old youth and he knew that he was defending his homeland,” she wrote. “It is important for me to know that the nation he belongs to and that he loved, will remember him.”
Veteran television journalist Menashe Raz discovered what he claimed was a change in the Yizkor, from a secular text written by socialist Zionist founder Berl Katznelson, to the one that turns to G-d. However, in his latest statement on the matter, the Chief of Staff insists that there has been no change in the text since 1967, and that it has always invoked G-d.
The controversy can be seen as an expression of a complex transition Israeli society is making, from a secular and often stridently anti-religious ideology under the socialist founders, to a more G-d fearing general outlook. Most of the prominent pioneer socialist Zionists -- though definitely not all of them -- saw the State and Nation as sacred, but were not religious.
Comment on this story
3. Yishai Bringing Back ‘Nationality’ Item in ID Cards
by Gil Ronen
Minister of Interior Eli Yishai (Shas) has informed the Justice Ministry of his intention to bring back the item denoting nationality in Israel ID cards, Channel 2 news reported Monday evening. Yishai had the item removed from the ID cards in 2002 after the High Court ordered that Reform and Conservative converts be listed as Jewish.
To circumvent the High Court demand, Yishai intends to have the word “Jewish” appear only in the ID cards of people whose IDs said “Jewish” in 2002. Others will continue to have asterisks next to “nationality.”
The formal reason for the decision, according to Maariv, is that Holocaust survivors whose IDs have become worn out have been refusing to take ID cards that do not have the nationality “Jewish” in them.
The Reform movement reacted to the news by vowing to turn once again to the High Court against Yishai’s decision. The movement accused Yishai of “unsophisticated and obvious” use of Holocaust victims as an excuse for the move.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Minister of Interior Eli Yishai (Shas) has informed the Justice Ministry of his intention to bring back the item denoting nationality in Israel ID cards, Channel 2 news reported Monday evening. Yishai had the item removed from the ID cards in 2002 after the High Court ordered that Reform and Conservative converts be listed as Jewish.
To circumvent the High Court demand, Yishai intends to have the word “Jewish” appear only in the ID cards of people whose IDs said “Jewish” in 2002. Others will continue to have asterisks next to “nationality.”
The formal reason for the decision, according to Maariv, is that Holocaust survivors whose IDs have become worn out have been refusing to take ID cards that do not have the nationality “Jewish” in them.
The Reform movement reacted to the news by vowing to turn once again to the High Court against Yishai’s decision. The movement accused Yishai of “unsophisticated and obvious” use of Holocaust victims as an excuse for the move.
Comment on this story
4. WWII Nazi War Criminal Milivoj Asner Dies Free in Austria
by Chana Ya'ar
The once-powerful head of the Croatian police during World War II, Milivoj Asner, has died a free man in Austria at the age of 98.
Asner appeared as the fourth person on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's 'Most Wanted' list, and appeared on Interpol's 'Most Wanted' list as well.
Nevertheless, he managed to escape extradition from Austria to Croatia, where in 2005 he was indicted for crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Those included his active participation in the deportation of hundreds of Jews, Serbs and Roma (gypsies) to the Nazi death camps.
The Austrian government allowed him to stay in the country, relying upon medical statements that claimed he suffered from dementia and therefore was unfit to stand trial.
Such reports were slammed by international media who discovered him relaxing with his wife and several soccer fans on a terrace during the European Football Championship. A June 2008 photo documenting the incident was published in the British newspaper The Sun, sparking a worldwide scandal.
Asner lived in an assisted living residence in Klagenfurt, Carinthia since 2006, one year after he fled to Austria due to having been successfully tracked down by the Wiesenthal Center.
“On this occasion, it is important to reiterate the fundamental role of the political will to bring the perpetrators of the Holocaust to justice,” the Wiesenthal Center said in a statement. It called on the world to “urgently make a final effort to bring these murderers to justice before it's too late.”
Although not reported until Monday, when it was published in a local newspaper, Asner's death was confirmed by Viktor Omelko, director of the firm that administers the residence in which he lived.
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
The once-powerful head of the Croatian police during World War II, Milivoj Asner, has died a free man in Austria at the age of 98.
Asner appeared as the fourth person on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's 'Most Wanted' list, and appeared on Interpol's 'Most Wanted' list as well.
Nevertheless, he managed to escape extradition from Austria to Croatia, where in 2005 he was indicted for crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Those included his active participation in the deportation of hundreds of Jews, Serbs and Roma (gypsies) to the Nazi death camps.
The Austrian government allowed him to stay in the country, relying upon medical statements that claimed he suffered from dementia and therefore was unfit to stand trial.
Such reports were slammed by international media who discovered him relaxing with his wife and several soccer fans on a terrace during the European Football Championship. A June 2008 photo documenting the incident was published in the British newspaper The Sun, sparking a worldwide scandal.
Asner lived in an assisted living residence in Klagenfurt, Carinthia since 2006, one year after he fled to Austria due to having been successfully tracked down by the Wiesenthal Center.
“On this occasion, it is important to reiterate the fundamental role of the political will to bring the perpetrators of the Holocaust to justice,” the Wiesenthal Center said in a statement. It called on the world to “urgently make a final effort to bring these murderers to justice before it's too late.”
Although not reported until Monday, when it was published in a local newspaper, Asner's death was confirmed by Viktor Omelko, director of the firm that administers the residence in which he lived.
Comment on this story
5. Ashkenazi Slams Dagan Over Iran Attack Remarks
by Gil Ronen
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has joined the voices criticizing former Mossad chief Meir Dagan for his statements against attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Daily newspaper Ma'ariv quoted statements made by Ashkenazi at the home of Canadian philanthropist Jerry Schwartz. “I do not think one should voice a strong opinion on whether an attack on Iran is required now, or other options,” he explained. “There are arguments in both directions, obviously there are disagreements, but what is important is keeping them inside the room and not outside it.”
Ashkenazi also discounted Dagan’s prediction that whereas Dagan, Ashkenazi and former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Yuval Diskin were able to talk the Prime Minister and Defense Minister out of attacking Iran, their successors will not.
“I, Gabi and Yuval were the only ones who blocked the attack on Iran,” Dagan was quoted as saying. “I’m afraid our successors will fail in this mission.”
“I am certain that Benny, Tamir and Yoram will know how to voice their opinions to the leaders, they will not be afraid to voice it and will not bow their heads,” said Ashkenazi – referring respectively to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, and Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen.
“Israel must not allow a situation where there is an option for a nuclear cloud over its skies,” said Ashkenazi, “but that does not mean that a military option is the best one at this moment.”
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has joined the voices criticizing former Mossad chief Meir Dagan for his statements against attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Daily newspaper Ma'ariv quoted statements made by Ashkenazi at the home of Canadian philanthropist Jerry Schwartz. “I do not think one should voice a strong opinion on whether an attack on Iran is required now, or other options,” he explained. “There are arguments in both directions, obviously there are disagreements, but what is important is keeping them inside the room and not outside it.”
Ashkenazi also discounted Dagan’s prediction that whereas Dagan, Ashkenazi and former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Yuval Diskin were able to talk the Prime Minister and Defense Minister out of attacking Iran, their successors will not.
“I, Gabi and Yuval were the only ones who blocked the attack on Iran,” Dagan was quoted as saying. “I’m afraid our successors will fail in this mission.”
“I am certain that Benny, Tamir and Yoram will know how to voice their opinions to the leaders, they will not be afraid to voice it and will not bow their heads,” said Ashkenazi – referring respectively to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, and Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen.
“Israel must not allow a situation where there is an option for a nuclear cloud over its skies,” said Ashkenazi, “but that does not mean that a military option is the best one at this moment.”
Comment on this story
6. El Al Plane Damage Traced to Singapore, Cause Still Unknown
by Chana Ya'ar
Damage that forced an El Al passenger plane to make an emergency landing at Ben Gurion International Airport last month has been traced to Singapore.
According to the findings of an initial investigation into the incident, the Boeing 777 may have been damaged while undergoing refurbishing in Singapore.
Yitzchak Raz, chief aerial incident investigator for the Transportation Ministry, wrote in his report, however, that although the source of the malfunction had been tracked down, the cause has not.
More than 200 passengers were told to prepare for an emergency landing last month as El Al flight 027 turned around and headed back to Israel after the malfunction was discovered in the landing gear.
The flight was about a half hour out, en route to Newark Airport in New Jersey, USA, when the pilot noticed the glitch. Turning the plane around, the pilot flew the plane back towards Israel, dumping gasoline over the Mediterranean along the way in order to reduce the chances of igniting a fireball upon impact during landing.
The flight landed safely and no one was hurt.
Also last month, airline fuel was found to be contaminated, grounding numerous planes that were scheduled both for departure and for arrival.
The incident, which dragged on for about two weeks, did not pose a threat to passengers' safety but cost both domestic and international airlines in terms of disrupted scheduling and loss of clientele until the matter was resolved.
Comment on this story
by Chana Ya'ar
Damage that forced an El Al passenger plane to make an emergency landing at Ben Gurion International Airport last month has been traced to Singapore.
According to the findings of an initial investigation into the incident, the Boeing 777 may have been damaged while undergoing refurbishing in Singapore.
Yitzchak Raz, chief aerial incident investigator for the Transportation Ministry, wrote in his report, however, that although the source of the malfunction had been tracked down, the cause has not.
More than 200 passengers were told to prepare for an emergency landing last month as El Al flight 027 turned around and headed back to Israel after the malfunction was discovered in the landing gear.
The flight was about a half hour out, en route to Newark Airport in New Jersey, USA, when the pilot noticed the glitch. Turning the plane around, the pilot flew the plane back towards Israel, dumping gasoline over the Mediterranean along the way in order to reduce the chances of igniting a fireball upon impact during landing.
The flight landed safely and no one was hurt.
Also last month, airline fuel was found to be contaminated, grounding numerous planes that were scheduled both for departure and for arrival.
The incident, which dragged on for about two weeks, did not pose a threat to passengers' safety but cost both domestic and international airlines in terms of disrupted scheduling and loss of clientele until the matter was resolved.
Comment on this story
7. 'Peeling the Onion' of Barak's Authority in Yesha
by Hillel Fendel
Sunday’s Cabinet decision to strip Defense Minister Ehud Barak of some aspects of his unilateral authority regarding Jewish neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria is gratifying for the Land of Israel-loyal public.
The Cabinet decided to transfer responsibility for the World Zionist Organization Rural Settlement Division from the Agriculture Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office. Specifically, some issues that until now needed to be approved by the Defense Minister will now merely be decided "in coordination with the Defense Minister."
Judea and Samaria (Yesha) have not been annexed to Israel, and are still under military control – meaning that Defense Minister Barak has the final word on many decisions, including construction. He has long been considered a foe of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, because he has frequently used his authority to order the demolition of Jewish houses in Yesha, or simply to withhold his signature necessary for the approval of new construction.
A public campaign was initiated three months ago to have Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dismiss Barak for his anti-settlement stance and the deteriorating security situation.
The latest decision is therefore "good news,” said Susie Dym, spokesperson for the grassroots Mattot Arim organization, “because the reason why peace in the Middle East has been thwarted for many years is because Jewish settlement has been regarded as the problem and not the solution. Now that Jewish settlement will be allowed to flower naturally in the Jewish homeland, only good things can result.”
Asked to explain her take on why this decision was taken at this time, Dym said, “We know that the people love Judea and Samaria, and elections are nearing, therefore it is natural that the second half of a government’s term will see developments that benefit the Land of Israel.”
Yesha historian and expert Haggai Huberman has a slightly different take on the matter. "The decision must be taken in proportion," he told Israel National News. "Barak still retains veto power over construction; this has not changed. But it’s good that the Settlement Division has been taken from the purview of the Labor Party-run Agriculture Ministry, and given over to [the Prime Minister's Office]."
Huberman said that the issues affected by the change involve day-to-day affairs of Jewish communities, neighborhoods and outposts in Yesha, such as relocating generators, security needs, and developing a core-group for a new settlement.
"By the way," Huberman added, "note that a few months ago, the Cabinet made a decision that neutralized Barak even more – and that he has the rights to order the demolition of a Jewish neighborhood only on land that it is private Arab property for certain, such as Migron. But if there are any doubts, as there are almost everywhere else, then he cannot do so. And even in Migron, he has already committed himself not to destroy anything there until the alternative site for the 43 families is ready."
Political analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner says that the decision is "representative of an important trend. Those who say that it has no meaning because Barak has other tools that he can play against Jewish settlement in Yesha are missing the point. It's like the peeling of an onion; we're talking about something that can't be changed entirely overnight."
Comment on this story
by Hillel Fendel
Sunday’s Cabinet decision to strip Defense Minister Ehud Barak of some aspects of his unilateral authority regarding Jewish neighborhoods in Judea and Samaria is gratifying for the Land of Israel-loyal public.
The Cabinet decided to transfer responsibility for the World Zionist Organization Rural Settlement Division from the Agriculture Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office. Specifically, some issues that until now needed to be approved by the Defense Minister will now merely be decided "in coordination with the Defense Minister."
Judea and Samaria (Yesha) have not been annexed to Israel, and are still under military control – meaning that Defense Minister Barak has the final word on many decisions, including construction. He has long been considered a foe of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, because he has frequently used his authority to order the demolition of Jewish houses in Yesha, or simply to withhold his signature necessary for the approval of new construction.
A public campaign was initiated three months ago to have Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dismiss Barak for his anti-settlement stance and the deteriorating security situation.
The latest decision is therefore "good news,” said Susie Dym, spokesperson for the grassroots Mattot Arim organization, “because the reason why peace in the Middle East has been thwarted for many years is because Jewish settlement has been regarded as the problem and not the solution. Now that Jewish settlement will be allowed to flower naturally in the Jewish homeland, only good things can result.”
Asked to explain her take on why this decision was taken at this time, Dym said, “We know that the people love Judea and Samaria, and elections are nearing, therefore it is natural that the second half of a government’s term will see developments that benefit the Land of Israel.”
Yesha historian and expert Haggai Huberman has a slightly different take on the matter. "The decision must be taken in proportion," he told Israel National News. "Barak still retains veto power over construction; this has not changed. But it’s good that the Settlement Division has been taken from the purview of the Labor Party-run Agriculture Ministry, and given over to [the Prime Minister's Office]."
Huberman said that the issues affected by the change involve day-to-day affairs of Jewish communities, neighborhoods and outposts in Yesha, such as relocating generators, security needs, and developing a core-group for a new settlement.
"By the way," Huberman added, "note that a few months ago, the Cabinet made a decision that neutralized Barak even more – and that he has the rights to order the demolition of a Jewish neighborhood only on land that it is private Arab property for certain, such as Migron. But if there are any doubts, as there are almost everywhere else, then he cannot do so. And even in Migron, he has already committed himself not to destroy anything there until the alternative site for the 43 families is ready."
Political analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner says that the decision is "representative of an important trend. Those who say that it has no meaning because Barak has other tools that he can play against Jewish settlement in Yesha are missing the point. It's like the peeling of an onion; we're talking about something that can't be changed entirely overnight."
Comment on this story
8. Steinitz in Message to Obama? ‘Costly Stimulus Slows Recovery'
by Gil Ronen
“Never sacrifice the future of your economy in order to save it in the present because you will kill both,” Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday, at the Israel Democracy Institute’s annual Caesarea Conference.
In what some might see as hinted criticism of United States President Barack Obama’s method of dealing with the financial crisis in his country, Steinitz said: “If you give incentives or stimulus plans that are unsustainable for too long, they won’t work. On the contrary, if people realize that in two or three years [they] are going to pay for it, and recovery will be very slow because of this, this will be counterproductive.”
Email readers click HERE to view video.
“When most countries reduced taxes in order to [stimulate] the economy in the middle of the crisis,” he explained, “we raised taxes temporarily. But at the same time we committed ourselves to seven years of tax reduction – starting now.”
Citing new investments by Intel and Barclays Bank, Steinitz said that in a crisis or following one – the most important thing is “not just to go to speedy recovery or to a nice growth tempo but to bring back investments in the real economy.”
The conference is being held at the College of Management Academic Studies at Rishon LeZion.
Comment on this story
by Gil Ronen
“Never sacrifice the future of your economy in order to save it in the present because you will kill both,” Israel’s Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday, at the Israel Democracy Institute’s annual Caesarea Conference.
In what some might see as hinted criticism of United States President Barack Obama’s method of dealing with the financial crisis in his country, Steinitz said: “If you give incentives or stimulus plans that are unsustainable for too long, they won’t work. On the contrary, if people realize that in two or three years [they] are going to pay for it, and recovery will be very slow because of this, this will be counterproductive.”
Email readers click HERE to view video.
“When most countries reduced taxes in order to [stimulate] the economy in the middle of the crisis,” he explained, “we raised taxes temporarily. But at the same time we committed ourselves to seven years of tax reduction – starting now.”
Citing new investments by Intel and Barclays Bank, Steinitz said that in a crisis or following one – the most important thing is “not just to go to speedy recovery or to a nice growth tempo but to bring back investments in the real economy.”
The conference is being held at the College of Management Academic Studies at Rishon LeZion.
Comment on this story
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