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The bridge between Boris, BDS and business in Israel

10 November 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

Boris Johnson, mayor of London, conservative MP and possible future Prime Ministerial material, is leading a delegation of commercial leaders this week to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

His Monday morning in Tel Aviv was a great success for the locals. And that should come as no surprise. Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown consistently for over a decade. And Israeli companies have raised over $3.0bn in London financial markets in the past two years alone.

As Johnson himself said at a function: “Why would you – of all the countries in the region – why would you boycott the one which is actually a functioning democracy and a pluralist, open society…. the most vibrant?” And when interviewed on Britain’s Channel 4 news, Johnson referred to an academic boycott of Israel as ‘foolish’.

Johnson is not alone, both in his perception of how Israel and UK can work together and how BDS is an impediment to peace. Jan Koum, founder of WattsApp, tweeted his objection to BDS this week. Lord Robert Winston, IVF Pioneer. was similarly emphatic in his words, when receiving an honourary doctorate at the Weizman Institute from the British ambassador to Israel.

For all these announcements, this is also the week, when the EU is insisting on invoking its policy that products manufactured in the Palestinian territories are no  longer considered as Israeli, and thus must be labeled accordingly. Israeli officialdom has reacted angrily, noting that there are dozens of political – military conflicts around the globe. Yet in not one other incidence has the EU taken such an aggressive and one-sided approach.

Will this European move help the peace process? According to the respected journalist Danny Rubinstein, there may be about 1,000 manufacturing Israeli enterprises in the Palestinian territories. Many have parts made elsewhere and thus beat the regulations that way. A few, like Sodastream have left the area, thus leaving dozens of Palestinians unemployed. As for the rest, very few export…. and some are improving their packaging, which will actually help sales.

Just for the record, Palestinians employed in Israeli West Bank factories must by law receive all social benefits, such as national insurance as per any other worker in Israel. These are far more generous than those of the Palestinian Authority. In fact, however measured, their wages overall are much higher than their counterparts in Ramallah etc.

Johnson’s visit is all about building links with new partners. Prosperity increases the chances of peace. While the attention is on the London- Tel Aviv – Ramallah axis, this week Israel signed an agreement with Jordan. A new joint industrial zone will be built. “The Jordan Gate” will be supported by the construction of a new bridge to link the two sides. Is that the most interesting lesson for all in this time of heightened tensions?

Friday afternoon tea in Jerusalem – not what you expect

7 November 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem

It poured down this Friday afternoon in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is an amazing place on Fridays. Observant Jews are rushing around, preparing for the Sabbath. In the Old City, Catholics can be seen, eating in fish restaurants. And around 2.00pm, the mosques finish the main prayers for the day and the worshippers pour out.

It was about this hour that my friend from the UK, let’s call him Robert, phoned me for directions to get to my place. “Take the 131 bus, and get off at the last stop. Simple, no?”

From my warm, dry apartment, I could see really heavens opening up. Well, this is Israel. Nearly an hour went past, before Robert called again. “Are you sure, this is the right bus for me? We seem to be going round the houses.”

Two minutes later, another call. “I am the last person on the bus.” More reassuring words from his host to be.

And then, the best call: “What do I do now? The driver has stopped the bus, got out his prayer mat and was offering his own supplications for the day. Yes, Egged, Israel’s major bus company, employs Muslims, and on an equal basis.

Just then, the driver finished and I was able to explain to him where to let my tourist friend off the bus. A few minutes later, a bemused Robert was recalling the incident over a hot cup of (English) tea.

But here is what really made me laugh. It was not that I live over the “green line”, beyond the 1967 borders and that the driver clearly had no problem working in the area.

Before starting to pray, the driver carried out the customary search of the bus, ensuring that the passengers had taken all of their bags with them. In other words, our Arab friend was checking that there were no suspicious items – potential bombs – left lying around. Somehow, there is a beautiful irony in this episode.

And beyond the irony and amongst the torrential rain, there is a wonderful story of coexistence that people overseas do not realise still remains in many parts of the holy city of Jerusalem.

That horrible wasteful angry moment at work – one practical tip

2 November 2015
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Categories: Business, Israel, Jerusalem

My client – call him Fred – and I talked over his angry moment at work last week. Fred’s own customer in Jerusalem had been particularly rude and unfair. Fred let rip. Within 24 hours, Fred had lost a valued revenue stream, and the payment for that particular job was curtailed severely. Ouch!

Double ouch, considering that Fred had been 90% in the right.

As Fred’s business coach, it was my job to encourage him to recognise a few home truths. However, before continuing, let us be fair. All of us go through those moments. Whether we are talking to bosses or colleagues, suppliers or customers, even just close friends and family, we can sometimes just ‘lose it’.

We discussed initially how Fred should not have been in the position where he had to deal with such customers. We know that is not his strength. Yet given how the ‘dice had been rolled out’, Fred had still missed out on one vital and effective trick.

In the review, we identified that as the customer had been letting rip his vitriol, Fred stood there as his blood boiled over. He did not apply a cooling system. A very simple method to correct that is to encourage the other side to explain themselves further. Just ask a short question: “What do you actually when you said………..”.

The beauty of this tactic is:

  • It buys you a few extra seconds to calm down and thus to see through the situation that bit further.
  • It also allows the second party to open their mouth yet again, and probably make a mistake.

And here I would add one bonus comment. Over the years, I have come to realise that when I look back at the times I have been angry, usually afterwards I have been forced to admit that I could have done something better beforehand. In fact, I was often becoming angry at myself, but taking it out on others. In Fred’s case, he had not fully clarified a certain phrase in the purchase order.

In other words, a misunderstanding over two words had caused a major commercial disaster for Fred, as well as hours of lost time in clearing up the mess. Such is the power and the waste of anger.

A Jerusalem Jew, Muslim, police officer – all loved by Oslo

25 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

After the festive meal to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Alexander Levlovitch gave a lift to his daughters and was driving back home through the dark south-easterly streets of Jerusalem. His car was deliberately attacked. He lost control, but still had enough sense to veer away from others in order to minimize the loss of limbs.

He died clutching the steering wheel. Lawyers can argue whether it was the one kilo rock that struck his car or the incitement that the killers had endured which are responsible for the death of Levlovitch. The eulogies and articles merely describe a person, who sought peace between his fellow human beings.

Jerusalem and the region have been burning ever since. For example, thirty days later – and 30 days is significant because this is when mourners in Judaism remember the deceased –  “a Palestinian woman was shot after stabbing a Border Police officer near the capital’s police headquarters”. This was October 12th, a day of multiple acts of terror.

What was so special about this one specific stabbing? It is not that the terrorist was treated on the spot by an Israeli police woman. It is not that the terrorist was then taken to a hospital in Jerusalem, where care was delivered on the same basis as to everyone else.

What sets this story apart is that the police woman is Captain Maya Stolero, who’s late father was…….dear Alexander Levlovitch. She did her job. She is trained to help civilians. And that is what she did, regardless of race and religion.

It would be convenient to let the story end there. However, the incident raises a very troubling question. Agreed, not everything is ‘rosy’ in Israeli society. Yet, if this is how the Israeli police and local hospitals behave towards those who hate them, what are the Palestinians actually complaining about?

There are those who advocate on behalf of the Palestinians by claiming that they are poor, carved aside from regular society. They have no hope. And I bet there are stats to show that the Arab sector in Israel deserves a larger share of the national pie.

But to say ‘no hope’? I have just shown two simple examples of where such hope lies, daily. And what about the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s. As my wife reminded me, that framework was installed precisely to offer the kind of hope that the Palestinians are looking for today. Unfortunately, the violence of Arafat’s Intifada destroyed such dreams for many, of all persuasions.

And the rock that was hurled at Alexander Levlovitch’s car? It was as much about the desire for peace and mutual recognition and was that same Intifada. In other words, the terrorists are burying the very “hope” they aspire to, and you have to ask why?

Palestinian violence – the economies of two peoples

23 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Unfortunately, this week has seen yet another round of Palestinian violence and Israeli response. It is now evident that the cause is racial and ethnic rather than economic and social. That said, there was one moment of ironic laughter, when it was learned that nothing has prevented the brother in law of President Abbas receiving private medical treatment in  Tel Aviv.

But while these horrific acts occur on the streets of Israel, peoples of all persuasions are trying to make a living. In the Muslim parts of Jerusalem, store owners are not hiding their pessimism. Trade is right down. Both their Jewish and Arab customers are staying away.

As a business mentor with many several clients in retail and service sectors, I can report that the feeling is pretty mutual on the Jewish side of the divide. And regarding tourism, it is not that agents have cancelled trips for the present month, but the numbers for November and December remain bleak. It would seem that everyone suffers together.

However, there remain some bright spots.

First, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel remains strong. For example, a Chinese pharma giant, Haisco, announced this week a US$10 million venture with Endoscan. Similarly, Microsoft’s purchase of Secure Islands for US$150 million will enable the American conglomerate to base its growing international cyber activities in the Holy Land.

To give these numbers some greater perspective, it is estimated that for the first 9 months of 2015, FDI has reached US$3.2 billion, about 95% of the figure for the whole of 2014. The previous year, the total was barely US$1.5 billion.

What impressed me just as much was the announcement of a new government programme to improve the collection of taxes In Israel. Led by the consulting agency, Andersen, the aim is to add an additional 10 billion shekels – around US2.5 billion – to the kitty, annually.

That number is particularly significant just now. It is approximately what the treasury was intending to cut from the public accounts for 2016. Not only would these reductions have come from the defence sector, they would have also been withdrawn from the extensive road building campaign and social services that serve both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Hopefully, they will remain unscathed.

Which of course begs the question: How is the Palestinian Authority using its war chest of billions, carefully protected overseas, to secure peace for all?

Do you really have a time management problem?

21 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Much of my work as a business coach takes place in and around Israel’s wonderful capital city, Jerusalem. Its beauty makes it easy to people to become side tracked by all kinds of issues.

And as a coach or mentor, I am often asked to help clients overcome the problem of time management. They are simply distracted and do not achieve even the most simple of tasks. They procrastinate.

This week, I have met separately with some very competent owners of small businesses, who are genuinely busy, nearly 24 / 7, all year round. When you start talking to them, you realize how dedicated they are. No internet surfing here just to catch up with the latest sports’ results.

And yet these same people purport to have time management problems. Why? Because they (and colleagues) do not fit into their day most of their mandatory tasks! This happens on a regular basis.

In other words, they work their guts out. What they do with each client or contract usually shows the hallmarks of high levels of competence. Yet, they do not feel that they are accomplishing anything. Seemingly, there is not enough time. But is this a time management issue?

Look again. What is really holding them back is a core fault in their business model. In other words, an imbalance exists between the total number of clients and how the CEOs are charging out for such services. Too few customers are not paying enough dosh. And so my CEOs find themselves chasing little sums into the dark hours of the night. This is the core issue that needs to be addressed, before all else.

And here comes a second common denominator. I found that my clients do not like to become involved in financial stats. I wonder why!

Is the violence in Jerusalem triggered by poverty?

19 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

The violence in the Holy Land reached a new level of horror last night. Until now, much of the Palestinian terror has been focused in the capital, Jerusalem. On this occasion, a young man ran amuck in Beersheba, killing at least one person and severely injuring many others.

A murderous act, directed against Jews. But what prompted it? Is it economic distress and poverty, as many international commentators and academics like to advocate?

Three facts stand out in this discussion.

  1. For all the problems with accuracy that the World Bank has in measuring Palestinian GDP, Gross Domestic Product, – the accepted international measurement of the size of an economy – the amount for the West Bank and Gaza is low. In current US$, the figure is US$12.8 billion. This reflects high unemployment, negligible collection of taxes, low wages, all of which combine in turn to have knock on effects re corruption etc.
  2. According to the IMF, there are dozens of countries, whose GDP is on a par or less than that of the Palestinians. To name but a few – Bahamas, Malta, Malawi, several pacific islands, etc. Yet despite the relative low income levels, most of these countries do not have swathes of citizens looking to pick up knives and guns and then use them against specific ethnic groupings.
  3. In a rare but fascinating social analysis of the families of some of those who have perpetrated these heinous crimes, it emerges that most of the attackers have come from ‘middle-class’ backgrounds. “They all lived in houses owned by their families, and had unlimited access to the internet. They all carried smartphones that allowed them to share their views on Facebook and Twitter and, among other things, to engage in wanton incitement against Israel and Jews.”

In parallel, it is also gradually emerging that the Palestinian Authority (PA) , which for decades has been crying about its empty coffers, has a veritable surplus of riches. For example, last week, I cited a Palestinian source that mentioned how the PA carries around US$1.3 billion in overseas investments.

And yesterday, I read some original research by Doron Peskin in the Hebrew newspaper, “The Calcalist”, which menas “The Economist”. The Palestinian National Fund was established way back in 1964. Today, it is directly controlled by President Abbas himself. Aside from donations from the Saddam Husseins of this world, every public employee in the PA ‘donates’ 5% of his salary to the Fund.

The total current value of the fund is unknown, although assumed to be in the billions. Peskin’s coverage of the financial worth of Palestinian leaders has proved to be accurate over the years.

So, if ain’t the money, what prompts a young Palestinian adult to pick up a knife and look for a Jew to murder? If you look at the backgrounds of Muhannad Halabi, Shuruq Dweyat, Fadi Alloun and others – male or female – for all their lives they have been exposed to incitement. It is available of Palestinian television. It is available in school textbooks, funded by UNESCO, which in turn is funded by Western taxpayers. And it is available on social media.

This is hatred. It is time for the rest of the world to shout “No, Enough. Unacceptable”. Otherwise, as has already happened on the streets in London and Berlin, these crimes will become another successful export from the Middle East.

The irony of life in Jerusalem

14 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Yesterday, I attended a funeral in Jerusalem. It was conducted in an atmosphere of tension, due to the terror attacks in the south of the capital. And at the same time, on the other side of the road from the burial, hundreds of tourists were visiting holy Christian sites, seemingly without a care in the world.

And the previous day, NASA Administrator, Charles Boden, had signed a major cooperation agreement with Israel in Jerusalem at conference on space. Buzz Aldrin had been the key speaker for thousands of overseas delegates.

So amongst all the horror of the past few days – stabbings, shootings, attempted bus hijacking, 13 year olds carrying out attacks and more – I began to realise just how the press was missing out on the irony of what was happening. Call it satire if you want. For example: –

  1. Did you know that a UN official, Mounir Kleibo, was one of those who has been stoned and physically injured? Fortunately he is now recovering. Yet, one has to smile considering that this gentleman has never hidden his sympathies for the Palestinian cause. In fact, the UN never issued a complaint about the attack. As one Israeli quipped, maybe the UN is now asking their officials to serve as target practice for the perpetrators of violence?
  2. The incitement on Palestinian social media forums has reached new peaks (or troughs). Nabil Abu Ruedeineh, a spokesperson for President Abbas, claimed that Israel had “executed” a teenager. The gentleman ‘omitted’ to mention that the lad had been killed, only after he had stabbed others and was an uncontrollable violent threat to those nearby. In this case, somebody pondered that if Ruedeineh did not know the difference between “killed and executed”, many Israelis would (assumedly) gladly assist in a demonstration.
  3. When it comes to human rights, dozens of NGOs have been established in the past two decades. Their raison d’etre is to publicise – should I say denigrate – Israel and her faults at every opportunity. So how have they responded to this wave of senseless violence against innocent civilians? Most have been silent. A few have tried to place the actions in context of the Israeli army. You have to wonder why these people are so afraid to condone an atrocity in arguably the world’s holy city, when it comes to Jews suffering?
  4. And finally, amongst the hate and bitterness, and while supporters of BDS still demand that the world boycott Israel products, SKY News released an amazing report. Gulf states, such as Bahrain, are considering buying Israel’s Iron Dome defence system against missiles. This is the very system that thwarted Hamas in Gaza last year and was thus condemned as an unfair military advantage. And why do the oil rich folks need to buy the system? Because they are afraid of Iran and (thus, by definition) America’s inability to defend them. Oops!

You may call this blog satire. You may say that it is inappropriate in such sad times. Yet these points highlight what the much of the media is not reporting and / or does not wish to recognize.

The violence of the past month against Israel cannot be justified. Its purpose is to hurt and maim Jews. They are acts of anti-Semitism, planned and executed by those who have no interest in peace.

 

He was born and buried in Jerusalem

13 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Israel, Jerusalem

Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Salasnik, known to us as Eli, was born 90 years ago in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Holy Land was then governed through a mandate given to Britain by the League of Nations. Eli’s family was forced to flee their homes after the pogroms of 1929.

Growing up, Eli joined the Haganah, fighting to secure the birth of the new Jewish State against invading Arab armies, who were supported by much of the Mandate’s bureaucracy. Later on, Eli became a rabbi and was then encouraged in the 1950s to join a programme to study law in the UK.

Eli began to learn English, but the financial aid for the studies collapsed. Eli remained in England and became the rabbi of a small Jewish community in London. Despite everything, the community prospered and it was even able to support a primary school for 25 years. Eli was to be their spiritual guide for over three decades.

In parallel, Eli learned how to work in a neighbourhood that can best be described as diverse. The story is told of how he went into a shop in London with his grandson. Not feeling so good, the first thing Eli did was to sit down to catch his breath. Curious, the shop-keeper asked if they wanted to buy anything.

Eli’s response was immediate and accompanied by his ever-enticing and motivating smile: “No! We have come to see you!”. Eli got on with everyone, and everyone wanted to be with Eli.

I did not know Eli as well as I had wanted to. We would meet at family events. He was always busy, always trying to help – and always supported by his lovely wife. Eli passed away in London last Friday afternoon, just before the Jewish Sabbath, the day of rest. And his body was brought to Jerusalem for burial.

This Tuesday morning, I went to the funeral parlour. Unknown to me, as the service took place, hideous acts of terror and murder were being perpetrated in the Holy City, right near where Eli had been born and grown up. Later on, we buried Eli on the Mount of Olives, a holy site for Jews, yet which today lies in Ras Al Amud, the heart of what the world media calls Arab East Jerusalem.

I assume that if this had been in London, a younger Eli would have tried to have find a way into the lives of his new “neighbours”. That is not possible in the current climate. The present language of mistrust and hatred emanating from Hamas and from the Palestinian Authority does not allow room for such dialogue.

When you look back and see just how much Eli accomplished in his 90 years – for people of all backgrounds and faiths – you know just how wrong are these perpetrators of terror. Eli – rest well and in peace. You have more than deserved it.

 

What the Palestinians are fighting for – a new society

12 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

Hidden amongst the current round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians and ignored by biased reporting of the international media, there is a question that demands to be answered. Just what are the Palestinians rejecting? Beyond the standard hatred and vitriol of both sides, what do they object to?

The issue is critical. And three stories yesterday encouraged me to demand a deeper understanding of what is happening.

Remember, Sunday 11th October was a day when:

And now add in the following facts: –

  1. That same female was taken immediately to a hospital in Jerusalem. As per the seriousness of her injuries, she was prioritised treatment, which was offered by whichever team happened to be on duty at the time. All patients and staff are seen as equals, whatever their religious or political background.
  2. One of the first on the scene at Gan Shmuel was the senior police commander of the region, deputy commissioner Jamal Hachrush, an Arab from Kfar Kana. That town was also in the news yesterday, as teenagers rioted and blocked roads. Jamal is highly respected amongst his colleagues.
  3. And while the BBC refers to alleged stabbings in Jerusalem by alleged terrorists, almost inevitably the first people on the scene at such terror incidents are the paramedics from Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent of the ambulance brigade. There is a fascinating feature in today’s newspaper, featuring one such team; a Muslim, an ultraorthodox Jew, and a Jew who until recently lived in what is often termed an illegal settlement. That is correct. They operate together, as a team.

I have to ask myself another question. Where else in the Arab world, across North Africa and the Middle East, would you find such open pluralism? Why are the Palestinians so intent on rejecting Israel?

As the commentator, Robert Festenstein, surmised this week, if you were to ask most of these protestors what they thought about the racists of the Ku Klux Klan or the English Defence League, they would assuredly be horrified. The same can be argued of the supporters of the BDS movement, who nevertheless: –

embrace or excuse organisations such as Hamas which openly seek the death of the Jews. This is the same organization, which oppresses women, kills gays and incidentally any journalist who dares to publish the truth about their loathsome conduct and tactics. They would …..happily line up alongside Hamas and other Jew hating organisations because they are just that, Jew haters, ……..but they just don’t see it.

And thus, Israel for whatever it stands for and whatever good it does…………Israel, the one democratic society in the Middle East…….has to go.

I do not believe that all Arabs hate Israel. Peace can be achieved. However, is it not strange that many of the issues that Israel has had to face in the past few years, such as homicide bombers and the need for fenced borders, how these same issues are now on the agendas of politicians in Europe?

No, Israelis are not giving up. And I would encourage outsiders and analysts to wake up as to why they need Israel.

Does business coaching work? And for whom?

8 October 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

“Why do I, with all of my experience, need a business coach? And how do I know it will work?”

These are two of the most common questions – call them prejudices, maybe – that I am often faced by skeptical potential clients. Just to be clear, they are frequently shot at me by people who have dire problems in their firms. And as a business coach and mentor, I have to be careful in my response.

For example, last month, I held a meeting with a customer near Jerusalem to review progress.  I had encouraged the company to open a new sales position and to adopt new approaches in marketing. The first extra revenues were beginning to materialise. Could my CEO recognize this progress, I asked cautiously.

“No!”, came an immediate and grumpy reply. The spouse of the CEO, who happens to be in charge of marketing, strongly disagreed….once the CEO had left the room.

What reminded me of this case study was the result of a survey of 31 line managers, questioning who could see the results from a coaching course: the coach, the individual concerned, the manager of the individual. In this ‘3-way’ dialogue, it turns out that almost invariably “there were no significant changes in the coachees own perception of their transformational leadership behaviour following the coaching”.

The published study did not explain this phenomenon. My experience suggests, and I am not a psychologist, that there are two processes in play, when it comes to the coachee.

First, at an academic or intellectual level, most of us are able to make changes and to improve. We are “up for the challenge”. After all, that is why we receive a salary or run the company.

At a secondary level, we have been conditioned over time to feel a certain way about a situation. This makes it difficult for some of us to notice changes in our environments, particularly if we ourselves have contributed significantly to that difference. Why? I believe there is one key reason for this. We are trained to be modest and thus are unable to accept direct personal achievements.

I believe that the survey is only scratching the iceberg of a whole new area of research. We need to understand in far more depth why coachees are reluctant to understand their triumphs and what is the continuing impact of such ‘negatisim’.

Vikings and that Jerusalem connection

18 September 2015
1 Comment
Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Outside Iceland, the country is usually known for its Viking history, geysers, tourism and fishing. To that list, can we now add a hatred of Jerusalem? In a most bizarre act, the council of Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, decided this week to boycott all Israeli products. Thus, for these people, anything to do with the one Jewish state in the world of about 200 countries has become no-go territory.

Hmmm!

Let us understand this fully. We know that this is not a national policy of Iceland. Yet, we also know that no other country has been signaled out like this. Strange. For example, also this week, Sky TV analysed those countries, which carry out executions. Saudi Arabia, Iran and the USA lead the stats. And even Palestine had the number 2 against its name. But not a murmur about all this from our councilors in the North.

So what do they wish to boycott – an act, which by the way is a complete abrogation of the terms and spirit of the World Trade Organisation?

About a year ago, Michael Ordman helped to create a wonderful post, which set out to explain what would happen if you really tried to boycott Israel. For example: –

  • Throw out most Intel computers
  • With them will go ALL mobile phones
  • Voice messages, VOD packages, leading generic drugs, and a host of fruits and vegetables just will not enter your home

Assumedly, these are changes that the people of Reykjavik are happy to adopt at the behest of their leading councillors. However, the list would not stop there. Israel is arguably the leading supplier of water tech to dozens of third world countries.

One friend commented to me on Ordman’s list.

This is fascinating and mind blowing, but missing 2 major pieces. First, the invention of exelon, the drug at the forefront of the world’s attempt in managing Alzheimers diseases. It was invented by Professor Marta Rosin. And second, the invention and original patented technology to shrink a JPEG pics. This enables a photograph to be sent via email, whatsapp, face book. It is used by… well almost everyone. It was developed by “Picture Vision”, a Jerusalem based company, who’s CEO was Yaacov Ben Ya’acov.

Mobile, cyber, nano techs – there is no end to the involvement of the Holy Land in this industrial revolution.

And to give this some perspective, Giulio Meotti, an Italian journalist, surmised: For all the triumphs of Israel, “I don’t know another nation on earth which provides its own enemy with water, electricity, food, weapons, and medical treatment.”

If the council of Reykjavik are serious, then good luck to them in their boycott. I hope their voters and their families do not suffer too much. But I wonder if anyone will have the strength and honesty to call this act for what it is – anti-Semitism, just as practicised as far back as the eighth and ninth centuries in the days of the Vikings.

South Wales or Jerusalem – who would you choose?

7 September 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

I do not normally comment on Israeli football – a fan, yet I despair too often – yet a most unusual series events took place this week, which deserve comment here. They brought together an unlikely combination, featuring the national team from Jerusalem, the Welsh team, and the livelihoods of millions of people in that great country of Cymru, and old fashioned hatred disguised as political correctness.

Let me explain.

Initially, there was a wonderful proposal to host an exhibition in Cardiff that was to explain how the Israeli football set up encourages pluralism. This was a creative idea to foster interfaith relations in a difficult period, especially when Europe is trying to work out how to cope with millions of refugees.

Sussex Friends Of Israel's photo.

Then along comes a solitary Cardiff councillor, Sue Lent, who claimed that Israel is in fact a racist state. Her efforts ensured that the exhibition was canned. Thus, the message about coming together could not be heard. If that sounds like a non sequiter, that is because that is what hatred is all about.

Yesterday, Sunday, Israel and Wales played out a boring 0-0 draw. In fact, there seemed to be more action of the pitch, as Welsh supporters of the Palestinian cause tried to make more noise than their own football fans. This clips from youtube and elsewhere tend to argue that they failed.

Arguing that a boycott of Israel will help the Palestinians is not just illogical, it is evil. That said, I am thrilled with today’s announcement from the British government, showing just how much Israeli tech and investment has boosted the economy of South Wales, having a positive impact on the lives of millions.

By allowing people to cooperate and learn from each other, then you will secure understanding that will learn to peace. By choosing to link Jerusalem with South Wales, the commercial and social benefits for both countries – for peoples of all religions – are simply enormous.

I attach the announcement in full below, as recorded in Hansard.:

Israeli companies have today announced £3million of investment in South Wales and growth plans that could lead to up to 100 jobs being created and £13million being spent with local suppliers.

The announcements are being made as a delegation of Israeli businesses visit Wales to celebrate existing Israeli-Welsh trade and investment links, and to explore new opportunities. 

The investment announcements are the result of close work between the UK Government (through UKTI Israel) and the Welsh Government. They include:

  • Newport-based SPTS Technologies – a Welsh anchor company and a global leader in the semiconductor equipment market – has announced that it has exceeded U.S. $1billion in exports. SPTS Technologies, owned since August 2014 by NASDAQ-listed Israeli company Orbotech, exports over 95% of its products to a global customer base. The $1billion export sales have been achieved since 2009, when the company was founded. 
  • The company was awarded £4.6m Research Development and Innovation funding by the Welsh Government last year for a three-year project to develop the next generation of products for Advanced Packaging applications and place the company at the forefront of the industry. It will create 30 full-time R&D roles in Newport and result in an anticipated additional £13m spent with local suppliers over the term of the project.
  • Sapiens International Corporation, a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, anticipates another year of double-digit growth. Sapiens currently employs 240 people in the UK and is expecting to grow its Cardiff-based workforce substantially over the next 12months.
  • Amiad Water Systems, a leading global producer of water treatment and filtration solutions, has announced that it has chosen Swansea as the location of its first permanent base in UK. Over the past two decades, Amiad has supplied innovative solutions throughout the UK – from the Eden Project and the energy-saving zero-carbon Kingston Heights Project to providing effective Cryptosporidium protection in multiple waterworks. Amiad will be creating 5 – 10 new jobs in the first year with potential for further expansion. Through its engineering skills and ability to innovate, Amiad provides cost-effective sustainable solutions for the industrial, municipal, irrigation, oil & gas and ballast water markets in 80 countries. 
  • Lordan UK has announced a £1million investment into its South Wales facility in Hengoed which manufactures high quality custom-made fin and tube heat exchangers for the global HVAC&R market. Lordan already employs 45 people at its Welsh operation and sees potential for further growth in the UK due to the developing needs of the UK economy.

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said:

Our innovative technology sector is helping to harness overseas investment and create jobs in Wales.

Through the UK Government’s global trade network, international investors can see that Wales is an outward-looking nation and an attractive destination for business. Israel is a close friend of the UK and we enjoy an excellent trade relationship, built on decades of co-operation.

I want today’s announcements to be a catalyst for Wales to forge closer links with global markets and companies. This is a fantastic opportunity to show that we are open for business, open for trade, and open for investment.

Welsh Government Economy Minister Edwina Hart said:

I am delighted that Wales is proving to be such an attractive location for advanced technology companies from Israel and that we are seeing new investment as well as significant on-going reinvestment.

It is a strong endorsement that Wales provides the optimum environment for businesses to flourish and grow which is reinforced by the record number of inward investment projects from overseas companies that are choosing Wales above any other country as their location of choice.

The visit by senior executives from leading Israeli companies is most welcome as they explore new business opportunities in Wales and build on the growing links between our two countries.

The Palestinian economy – one big gas?

3 September 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinians

 

This week, a UN report suggested that “the social, health and security-related ramifications of the high population density and overcrowding are among the factors that may render Gaza unliveable by 2020, if present trends continue.”

The situation is so bad that the Palestinian economy is now officially in recession for the first time since 2006. Unemployment in Gaza itself has passed the 44% mark. By any standards, this is a recipe for social violence. It will probably not take too much for extremists to use this frustration to launch further attacks against Israel. After all, what is there to lose?

Rather predictably, Israeli propagandists have come out with a different set of stats.

  • Hamas in Gaza has been diverting building materials away form housing and towards their latest underground maze of tunnels.
  • In the West Bank, the new city of Rawabi has just been opened, close to Ramallah, seemingly for the nouveau riche
  • According to one external analysis, the third largest section of the Palestinian budget is the money given to convicted terrorists. Disappointing, especially since this is a budget sustained by the contributions from EU taxpayers and others.
  • Similarly, it is often the leaders and families of such freedom fighters / terrorists – call them what you want – that tend to receive the most wonderful medical aid. It is paid for by the Palestinian ‘state budget’, even if the service is provided by Israeli authorities.
  • And of course, there is the continuing saga of too many senior Palestinian officials being caught with their ‘hands in the till’. The latest set of leaked docs from Ramallah points to millions going astray.

There is obviously some importance to these stats. After all, the Palestinian Ministry of Finance is rumoured to have authorised the building of a new Presidential palace, which sounds pretty cool. In the words of William Booth from the Washington Post:

Media images beamed from the Gaza Strip rightly focus on the territory’s abundant miseries. But rising from the rubble of last summer’s devastating war with Israel are a handful of new luxury-car dealerships, boutiques selling designer jeans and, coming soon to a hip downtown restaurant, “Sushi Nights.”

Yet beyond the rhetoric, there is a game-changer that both sides tend to ignore. Bringing this subject to the fore would throw billions of dollars at the Palestinian Exchequer. All those never ending payments payouts to UNRWA and other political NGOS would become meaningless on the spot.

You see readers, Gaza has access to some very nice off-shore gas fields. According to Danny Rubenstein in the Calcalist newspaper, while much smaller in size than the Israeli reserves, they are far more accessible. British Gas received the exploration rights back in 2005. The annual financial flip in revenues could be worth as much as 3 billion dollars!

Very cool, indeed. So why is this wealth still stuck in the ground? Blame who you want

  1. Israel will not allow oversees’ players to encourage the economic recovery of the Palestinians.
  2. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is pressuring the Israelis to ensure that nothing happens, so long as Hamas keeps the PA out of Gaza.
  3. The Israelis do not trust such a development.
  4. The reserves are too small to invest in such extreme capital outlay.
  5. Etc, etc, etc……

And in the meantime? First, the gas remains locked up under the sea. Second, the Palestinians break their own boycott rules by buying gas from its enemy, Israel.

To give you an idea of the significance of the US$3 billion number, UNRWA raises around US$1 billion just to keep its statutory budget ticking over. In effect, to get to this new source of greenbacks, all the Palestinians have to do is to stop attacking Israel. It is almost that simple.

The point is that the UN can write whatever report it wants. Yes, many Palestinians are gut-wrenchingly poor. However, that does not impact on 100% of the population in the West Bank and in Gaza. In fact, a more enterprising, genuine and positive approach to peace is near-guaranteed to secure Palestinians a wind full of new wealth via its offshore gas reserves.

Tourism in Jerusalem – time for another hotel?

2 September 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Like many items of news in the Holy Land, the stats on tourism are very confusing. It appears that if overall numbers in 2015 are down about 13%, the summer months have seen better occupancy rates in the hotels. Good?

I often make this comparison. When I visited Prague a few years ago, I learnt that almost seven million people visit the Czech Republic each year. Most end up in Prague, where the Jewish quarter is a ‘must see’ item. By comparison, Israel barely hosts three million tourists. And, the majority are not Jewish.

Nobody doubts that Israel has much to offer tourists – history, religion, touring, beaches, extreme, and much more. Jerusalem is very much the natural focus for many. And the city with its seven hills makes for a fascinating place to visit, whatever your age or background.

As for Jerusalem’s capacity to entertain more visitors from oversees, the picture is full of grey blotches. The local press reported last week that two boutique hotels in the centre city are up for sale. That means the future of 60 rooms is unclear.

On the other hand, earlier this year the Waldorf -Astoria chain opened a stunning outlet, built around a preserved structure just near the Old City. Not to be outdone, a group of investors from Georgia have encouraged Rixos to set up shop nearby. And the Jordache Family have just strengthened their hold in the Jerusalem property market, which potentially implies that they too will be preparing new hotels.

And there are more examples of such investments in the top end of the market. What does this add up to? It seems that there are real estate investors, who see something in the potential of the Jerusalem tourism industry, which the tour operators have yet to fathom out.

The shame is that the city is one of the real wonders of the world. I only wish more visitors could believe in its true worth and beauty.

3 business miracles from Jerusalem

28 August 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

 

Flash the word “Jerusalem” in front of somebody, and they automatically recall words like religion or Old City or conflict. Others might refer to tourism or civil servants.

The fact is that Jerusalem in 2015 is a modern city of around 800,000 and it is full of thriving commercial initiatives. It is not just that you have semi-government agencies like MATI and MAOF, providing subsidised mentoring and consultancy services. Nor do I refer to the wonderful teams like BioJerusalem encouraging the boom in the local  biotech industry. Recycling plants, venture capital groups, social ventures, etc –  Jerusalem is rapidly catching up Tel Aviv as a city which is reputed for its enterprise and innovation.

Here are just three micro examples of what I mean.

Jerusalem Business Networking Forum (JBNF) is a group that I have mentioned before. With regular monthly meetings and now a separate bio division, JBNF has spent a decade providing a mechanism for the business world of Jerusalem to meet up. Most of the events are in English, and JBNF welcomes the entire entrepreneurial com,munity – Jews, Arabs, ultraorthodox, young, old,…whomever.

It is impossible to calculate the net impact of JBNF on the economic basin of the Israeli capital. The organisers, all volunteers, reveal that as a result of the meetings dozens have secured employment, hundreds have bought and sold services, and millions have been transferred in investment partnerships. The list of achievements is impressive.

KOLI is an interesting and worthy private initiative, led by the Australian-Israel clinical psychologist, Dr. Rachel Bachner. For the first time in Jerusalem, the city is to have a one-stop shop for adults suffering from eating disorders. Open to people of all backgrounds, the experienced team provides workshops, seminars, therapies and more.

It is surprising that the city has had to wait so long for such a centre. Dr Bachner has noted that the annual cost to the economy in terms of lost work days, as well as additional medical expenses from such illnesses can be easily calculated in the tens of millions. And that does not allow for the emotional and physical suffering. Time for a change of policy.

Beer Baazar is my third offering. This is the initiative of two 30-something Israelis, whose restaurant provides customers with a choice of beers from the dozens of boutique breweries that have sprung up in the Holy Land over the past decade or so.

Could the concept work? They started out in Tel Aviv, and are now just about to open up the second branch at the back of the Machane Yehuda Vegetable market in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in 2015 is beautiful and diverse city, full of tensions and yet thriving. You never stop discovering in this very special place.

Disclaimer: I am associated with JBNF and KOLI

Israel’s economy – hopefully a good bet

27 August 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

 

UBS analysts are recommending Israel as a defensive play during the financial uncertainty…..(They) noted that the Israeli economy grew by close to 3% in 2014, the unemployment rate was under 6%, the budget deficit stood at 2.8%, and a current account surplus of 3.7%.

Sounds fairly encouraging, especially in a week when world stock markets stuttered in the face of the farcical Chinese economic crisis. (Farce – because this has been a disaster in the making for years).

However, there is another side to the economy, which is very worrying. Growth in Israel for the past two decades has been highly dependent on the entrepreneurial and innovative skills of the hightech sector. In contrast, the politicians and bureaucrats running the macro economy seem to be in a state of paralysis.

Item one: Growth for the second quarter of 2015 recorded of minute improvement of 0.3%.  This factors in a 3.8% drop in investments in fixed assets and a 12.5% decline in exports of goods and services. As Israel’s own Finance Minister described matters, this is a weaker performance than in Greece and in Spain. Ouch!

Item two:  A report on sales at large retail chains reveal a 2% drop in purchases for the early summer months. This fall off was particularly marked in the large supermarkets, where the figure reached 4.2%. Consumers are concerned.

Times are definitely not easy. I am sure that the rising power of international purchases via the internet only compounds the problem. When I talk to my business mentoring clients in the Jerusalem retail market, they are constantly being forced to come with new ideas to survive.

What worries me most is that Israel’s new government seems to be dallying around. The headline in Hebrew this week from the financial daily “Calcalist” referred to ‘100 days in office and all the ideas for reforms have gone to waste’. Even the Wall Street Journal commented that Israel’s wealth in gas has become a story of ‘political feuding, bureaucracy and delayed development.’ Sad, as the treasury simply misses some extra dosh.

At home, Israel’s Prime Minister is known for delaying new policies, especially when he may not be seen to be receiving the credit for them. That means financial and structural changes – the housing market, allowing freer imports of vegetables, changes to the defense budget, etc – these and more are likely to be put off. And who loses out? 8 million citizens of Israel.

Bottom line: Yes, Israel has some impressive macro stats to show off to the world. It is a wonderful place to live in. It is a shame that the politicos have agendas that do not allow the country to become an even better place for its citizens.

3 practical rules when you are burnt out

14 August 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

I am a business coach. One of my main tasks is to explain to people that they cannot consistently put into an average day more than 10 hours quality work.

And yet, even I do not listen to myself. Over the past few months, I have been running around madly, mentoring clients, mainly in the Jerusalem region. About a week ago, I found myself entering a session stressed, and then finding the client yet more ‘challenging’. I did not perform well. I was burnt out. So what to do in such a situation?

1) Go on holiday! Not just a break for a day, but a proper holiday. That means you are required to move away from your familiar surroundings for at least a week. If cars need engines returning and computer batteries need recharging, our bodies also require a full top up.

2) Get some sleep! Many of us push ourselves to manage on less sleep, me included. Poor sleeping habits are associated with a variety of health disorders. If nothing else, you think less clearly and concentrate less effectively at meetings. Holidays are a chance to slow down.

3) Do NOT pick up any of those self-help managerial books that you often see displayed en masse at airports and train stations. Yes, they are all useful, helpful in specific ways. And I admit that I have invested over the years. However, I would suggest that few have been written by those who have to run and to manage and to cope with the issues of commercial businesses.

The clue to this insight was when I found myself looking at the collection on offer in London this week. The premier offering was “What they don’t teach you at Harvard Business School” by Mark McCormack. This book was written in the 1980s – pre email, pre smartphone, pre blogs. The key message of the book? Listen very carefully to what people are saying, learn, absorb, and then ‘just do it’.

And that is what a holiday will help you to internalise.

My best wishes to all my readers……….as I pen this from a centuries-old ploughmens’ cottage near Banff in northern Scotland.

Israeli high-tech does it again

31 July 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

Israeli high-tech just keeps breaking the barriers.

This week has seen the world fume again at Israel’s Prime Minister for his policies in the West Bank. In parallel and despite Obama’s entrenched position, the government in Jerusalem is determined to ensure that the nuclear deal with Iran is never ratified. And around all this geopolitical charade, Israel’s entrepreneurial and innovation community  ploughs on ahead.

In terms of money, the biggest news belongs to Teva.  It is laying out a cool US$40 billion for the generics’ drug unit of Allergan. However, the  overseas multinationals are not far behind int heir attempt to catch the local fruits. For example, Merck is investing US$95 million in cCAM, set up 5 years ago by Professor Gal Merkel, who is still only in his mid 30s. The company develops drugs for cancer.

What else? Magic Leap has raised over US$600 million in its efforts to rival Google, and is about to open its key r&d platform in Israel. The giant chip manufacturer, ARM, has purchased Sansa Security, enabling the American giant to open its own r&d operation in the Holy Land. As Inc.Com put it, “some of the hottest startups in Israel are creating some of the fastest-growing companies on the planet.”

This week, I moderated the session of the Jerusalem Business Networking Forum, which was devoted to the biotech sector. Three companies pitched to investors. It was fascinating.

  • Precise Bio is edging its way to printing vital organs, such as livers and kidneys, which can then be transplanted into humans!
  • LBSIGHT has raised money to develop a technique to show where and how people pick up germs in a hospital environment.
  • Sleep ASAP is developing a ‘sleep DNA’, enabling it to create personalized solutions for those suffering form sleep deprivation.

I was left marveling at the skills, determination and passion of the different teams. Interestingly, they were asked to list the challenges and difficulties they had faced to date. And for all the varying responses, nobody is giving up tomorrow morning. The passion is in the blood.

The bloggers at 21c feel that the conglomerates have gone a spending spree in Israel in recent weeks. In its own words, there are many Israeli companies that simply turn the impossible into a reality. Making the desert bloom, protecting innocent citizens from missile attacks, the release of insulin pills and much more – this is why Israeli high-tech walks above and beyond the politically correct ramblings of the politicians.

How to choose a business mentor: Useful guidelines

15 July 2015
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Categories: Afternoon Tea in Jerusalem, Business, Israel, Jerusalem

I just came across a very interesting post: “8 key ways to providing business consultancy services to new clients”. Once I had glanced at the title, I suddenly recalled two incidents that I had faced this week, as to how and why people choose business mentors. I believe they reveal some of the basic ‘dos and don’ts’ as to how to decide who will make a good business coach for your own set up.

In the first incident, I was approached by a former client in the Jerusalem area, who I had taken through the initial set up stages and on to opening sales. They had been fun to work with, and  I like to think that there had been some mutual chemistry.

It turns out that they had been approached by another consultant. From a brief explanation, I understood that the deliverables would enable my former client to expand extensively their market and thus income would spurt onwards. The suggested fee would probably match around six months of total net revenue after tax, and that is assuming their liaison would be a success. What did I think?

As you could imagine, I found it difficult to encourage my ex client to take up the deal. And as they pointed out, the consultant had showed a lack of appreciation for the unique nature of their business. this glove did not fit.

The second event involves another client, who operates in a field that is beyond my academic capability. However, I have helped him create a commercial vision. He is reluctantly coming to realise that the ways of the past have to change.

Our last meeting was a challenge for me. Most of the tasks that I had set at our previous session – nothing too testing – had been put to one side. The reasons? Well, a six year school kid could come up with better excuses. So, I showed him the ‘just do it’ video from Shia LeBeouf. He watched. He acknowledged, but I was still greeted by a wall of silence.

I placed a large amount of money on the table. He agreed that for every day that went past without some action, he was effectively forgoing that income. But he would not budge, and there was more silence, combined with ‘the folded-arm aggressive glare’.

So, I glared back. My face was designed to say: “I am not the one in trouble. You need to act. And you cannot blame me or anyone else for your troubles.” I was unsure what would happen, and then suddenly…………..suddenly, to my surprise, he picked up the phone and made the call to supplier that he been putting off for weeks. Breakthrough time! Houston, we have lift off.

Let me point out – there is no special chemistry here. What I do detect is deep mutual respect. And that is what often underlies a successful long-term relationship between a mentor and their clients.

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