Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

		Israel's Week in Business & Technology for week ended August 17 The week's top stories Contents Q2 growth beats expectations Ministries squabbling blocks 4th Ayalon rail line 12 towers to be built at Jerusalem entrance Verint to acquire parent co Comverse Technology Defense Ministry streamlining has failed Elbit Systems CEO Ackerman retiring after 16 years Israel reinstates hotel star ratings 3 Israeli universities among world's top 100 Start-ups and VC Information technology Telecom and media Healthcare Energy Real estate Defense and aerospace Financial services Capital markets Company results Transport and infrastructure Tourism & aviation Publishing Food Education Economy Features and analysis Start-ups and VC 10 Israeli $25m-plus exits in next six months Wary pessimism prevails among Israeli venture capitalists in the Deloitte Brightman Almagor Zohar VC Indicator survey. Information technology Alvarion wins Iowa contract The company will supply wireless broadband equipment to Muscatine Power & Water. Tower in talks on major foreign contract uTest buys Apphance for a few million dollars Telecom and media Kahlon relinquishes handling of HOT due to family connections The Knesset has transferred authority for dealing with HOT from Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon to Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein. Golan Telecom: Carriers blocking switch by business customers Healthcare Teva invests $6.5m more in Andromeda Clal Biotech will also invest a further $3.5 million in the diabetes treatment developer. Pontifax invests NIS 10m in Medical Compression Systems Pluristem obtains Indian Phase II trial approval Energy Isramco partner ATP on verge of collapse - report "The Wall Street Journal": ATP, which is a partner in the Shimshon license, could file for bankruptcy protection within days. Mikhail Mirilashvili to invest NIS 48m in ILDC Energy ILDC Energy CEO: We hit a cavern at 4,600 meters Myra partners: We haven't reached target strata Treasury to grant IEC further NIS 1.5-2b guarantee Court dismisses small gas investors petitions Real estate 12 towers to be built at Jerusalem entrance One million square meters of commercial, office, hotel, and business space will be built at the western entrance to the city. Tshuva, Dankner reschedule Las Vegas Plaza loan Africa-Israel denies losing New York's Apthorp Defense and aerospace Elbit Systems CEO Ackerman retiring after 16 years Bezhalel Machlis will succeed Joseph Ackerman on April 1, 2013. Financial services Regulators to probe Shochat ouster from Mizrahi board Avraham Shochat: I regret that this is a model for conduct by the CEO of an Israeli bank. Yones ousts Shochat from Mizrahi Tefahot board Capital markets Tshuva sells Delek US shares for $71.5m Delek Group unit Delek Petroleum sold three million Delek US shares after the markets closed on Thursday at $23.85 per share. Verint to acquire parent co Comverse Technology Sun Pharma to take Taro private for $571m MSCI adds Mellanox to Developed Markets Index Azrieli publishes offer to purchase for Granite Hacarmel Kardan Real Estate, Africa-Israel Residences mull merger Africa-Israel continues to tumble Company results Israel Chemicals profit down on flat revenue Higher sales in Asia and Latin America offset lower sales in Europe and North America. Makhteshim reports higher revenue, lower profits Mizrahi Tefahot Q2 net profit jumps 17% Perrigo reports sixth year of revenue, profit growth Oil Refineries swings to loss on lower revenue Elbit Systems revenue and profits slip El Al narrows loss on lower revenue Cellcom Q2 profit halved Partner profit down 41% on lower revenue New mobile business wipes out HOT Q2 profits Mirland Q2 net profit doubles Imperva narrows loss, raises guidance Mazor Robotics halves net loss Transport and infrastructure Ministries squabbling blocks 4th Ayalon rail line The NIS 3 billion project is the only long-term solution for alleviating rail congestion in metropolitan Tel Aviv. Tourism & aviation Israel reinstates hotel star ratings The Tourism Ministry will choose an international rating agency to rate Israel's hotels on the basis of the European Hotelstars Union model. Publishing "Israel Today" set to buy "Haaretz" printing house The Sheldon Adelson owned daily freesheet is in advanced talks to buy the printing house for NIS 100 million. Food Class action over fruit level in Strauss, Tnuva fruit yogurts The petitioners allege that Tnuva's "Yogurt with granola fruit" and Strauss's "Yogurt with granola nuts" mislead consumers. Agriculture Ministry warns of food price hikes Education 3 Israeli universities among world's top 100 Hebrew University, Technion, and Weizmann Institute made the top 100 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Economy Q2 growth beats expectations The Israeli economy grew by an annualized 3.2% in the second quarter of 2012, faster than in the first quarter. Treasury divided on 2013 growth forecast Treasury prepares eurozone worst case scenarios CPI rises 0.1% in July, in line with expectations Defense Ministry streamlining has failed Defense Ministry: We'll cut NIS 30b Netanyahu: We're deciding defense budget size Bank of Israel: Don't restrict gas exports Home prices rise 0.8% in second quarter Gov't Assessor: Home prices up in Q2 Treasury: Exceptional rise in real estate deals Record NIS 4.9b mortgages granted in July Netanyahu attacks regulators Huge payoff from new traffic cameras EU lists locations ineligible for customs exemptions Experts: Attack on Iran will cause global recession Features and analysis Fischer makes defense budget gaffe Stanley Fisher arrived unprepared for yesterday's cabinet meeting on the defense budget, and he did not know the material. 2013 budget could be cut by default A simple calculation shows that postponing the budget will prevent an additional NIS 1.1 billion a month, on average, in spending. Nobody dares cut defense budget Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surrendered over the defense budget when he told the cabinet that all threats against the home front are dwarfed by a nuclear Iran. Israel's long-range UAV is ready for action The Air Force's most advanced UAV, which can reach Iran, is back in the air after seven months. Have faith in EZchip despite lower guidance It is surely time to brush away the stigma of technology shares from the dot.com bubble period. Invest in luxury despite low growth Henderson Global Investors European fund manager Tim Stevenson says bet on manufacturers of luxury goods. Real estate is only investment option In July, Israelis began to sense that the housing market is all that is left, as they hear the scream of fighter-bombers taking off to strike Iran. 10 broken gov't housing promises Following the latest pledges by the Housing Ministry, "Globes" lists ten promises the government has broken in the housing market. Blackstone: WatchDox will be $1b co Blackstone CTO William Murphy discusses WatchDox, which secures documents, rather than computers, networks or apps.