Mind the Tech NY
"The coming months will determine whether we continue to be the Startup Nation"
Batell Blaish-Sultanik, Executive Director of AID Coalition, added at Mind the Tech NY: "We can’t stop the Knesset from passing non-democratic laws. But we can do one thing: Ensure that all the money raised for Israel actually goes to rebuilding the country and strengthening democracy."
Batell Blaish-Sultanik - Mind the Tech NY
(Tomeriko - Love Focus)
"I won’t talk about technology or finance—I want to talk about politics. I know that’s not what you came here for, but I ask for your patience—because these are not normal times. Israel is facing the greatest internal struggle in its history. The coming months will determine whether we continue to be the Startup Nation, a thriving democracy in a hostile region, or if we allow extreme and sectorial interests to divert us off course," said Batell Blaish-Sultanik, Executive Director of AID Coalition, at Mind the Tech NY.
The AID Coalition is a non-partisan group consisting of more than 180 Israelis living in the US who come from the worlds of high-tech, entrepreneurship, business, and social activism. “Caring people who have Israel at the heart and forefront of their minds,” says Blaish-Sultanik.
"I was born into a military family, and of course, I served as well. After the army, I went to law school, got married, and we had four children. My life became comfortable, and I thought the battles were over. But then, October 7th happened, and I decided to join forces with Ora Peled-Nakash and Jonathan Barsade to establish the AID Coalition and run in the World Zionist Congress elections, in addition to continuing my social work.
"We built a bridge that allowed us to provide assistance to the resilience centers in Ofakim and Sderot, the evacuee centers in Eilat and the Dead Sea, support cultural initiatives, organize activities for children and youth, and provide emotional support to the survivors of the Nova festival," she said. "Our plan is to continue fostering this connection and translate it into long-term action.
"In addition, we helped every military unit we could. We raised tens of millions of dollars to address each unit's shortages and also assisted residents in the north and south whose lives were devastated. People opened their hearts and gave generously.
"The Zionist Congress is the only democratic body that allows Jews in the United States and Israelis living there to influence the distribution of five billion dollars," explains Blaish-Sultanik. "Most of us don’t vote, so those with narrow, sectoral interests decide how the money is allocated, often without transparency. Think about it: If you were a shareholder in a Fortune 500 company, would you skip a board meeting? No. These budgets are directed to national institutions such as Keren Hayesod, Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (JNF), the Settlement Division, the Department for Combating Anti-Semitism, and the Jewish Agency.”
Blaish-Sultanik added, "I am here today because there is an election where we can directly decide: Will these funds be used to rebuild devastated communities in the north and south, to support core education and democracy? Or will they be directed to sectoral groups and undemocratic agendas? I know that this is one of the few ways I, as an Israeli or a Jew in the United States, can influence the future of Israel."
Blaish-Sultanik concluded, "We cannot personally bring all the abductees home, and we cannot stop the Knesset from passing undemocratic laws. But we can ensure that the money we raise from people around the world is used for the right and meaningful purposes—pre-military training programs, the reconstruction of the south and north, and more—rather than being funneled into narrow, sectoral interests. I am not asking people to resign from their jobs or make aliyah. I am asking you to do one thing—vote for the AID Coalition, a team of high-caliber and impressive Israeli-Americans, all of whom are leaders in technology, business, and politics, ready at any moment to return to ‘reserve’ service for the future of Israel. Every vote counts. Israelis and Jews living in the U.S., you can vote in the elections for the World Zionist Congress."
