Bennett: "The government's stalling strategy will lead us to existential danger"
Bennett: "The government's stalling strategy will lead us to existential danger"
The former prime minister, who serves as a director at Remepy, spoke at the Growth Conference of Calcalist and Mizrahi-Tefahot with the company’s founder and joint CEO, Dr. Michal Tsur. He called for increasing the effort to defeat Hamas in Gaza, stating, "And if there are considerations that do not allow this, then we can go to a deal." Bennett expressed optimism regarding Israel's economy, even though "there are some problems with the way it is being managed."
Dr. Michal Tsur, co-founder and CEO of Remepy, spoke at the conference alongside Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister who now serves as a director at Remepy, which combines software with medicine and other high-tech companies.
Why are you doing this?
"My passion for high-tech is no secret. That's where I grew up. The company Cyota, which I co-founded, bore fruit, and from each company, other companies were founded. The three fields I chose to be in are from two different worlds. I was very happy that Israel released the first quantum computer with quantum superiority. The cyber field in artificial intelligence is also a huge event, and of course, what we are doing at Remepy, creating a new medical category of hybrid drugs – a combination of a physical drug together with software, something that accelerates the ability of the drug. It is precisely during this difficult period that breakthroughs came out of the State of Israel. This is great for the country."
The most significant conversation today is about IDF recruitment. It’s important for both security and economic resilience. What do you think?
"Yesterday I met an intelligence officer in a very important and sensitive field who secures facilities in Judea and Samaria. This is a very unintelligent use that stems from the fact that we do not have enough soldiers in the army. Equal burden always comes on the principle of correcting injustice, but right now that's really not the story. The IDF has no soldiers. The ratio of one regular ultra-Orthodox soldier is equivalent to 12 reservists per month. That is why a real recruitment of ultra-Orthodox soldiers into the IDF, and not issuing fictitious orders, is essential at this time. My eldest son is enlisting in an elite unit in a month, your son has been fighting in an elite unit for many months.
"The State of Israel needs to mobilize the ultra-Orthodox with determination and love. But mostly with determination. It cannot be that Israel has any more pockets where there is no law, as well as the lack of law in the Negev with the crime. It must be done without hatred because the ultra-Orthodox are our brothers. This does not contradict the Torah, this is the essence of the Torah. This is a mandatory war against an evil enemy who wants to destroy us all and we need every young man and woman in the State of Israel to protect the only Jewish state in the world."
For years outside the country, the entrepreneurs have felt like ambassadors to the world, representing the beautiful Israel. The status of the country has deteriorated dramatically in recent months, affecting everyone who is trying to raise funds and attract customers. The high-tech industry relies largely on money from outside Israel. What do you do to address this situation?
"Ben-Gurion set the foundations for war – a quick decision, short wars, and in the enemy's territory. At the moment, it is the opposite. The war is not of high intensity, it is very long, and in the north, it is being waged on our territory. One can grumble about the fact that the world is anti-Semitic, and that is true, but it has been that way for thousands of years. The government is currently leading a strategy of delaying, and the problem with it is that if we have warehouses of national strength – the number of interceptors, the stock of weapons, depletion of reserves, the state of the economy, the Hague Tribunal, etc. – every day that passes under a delaying strategy, the warehouses are emptied by another quarter of a percent. On the other hand, our enemies – Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas – are not being eroded but getting stronger day by day. This is a wrong strategy. At the moment, we are not yet in immediate existential danger, but continuing a delaying strategy will take us below the red line. What needs to be done is to increase the effort to reach a decision. It is possible; we are talking about Hamas in Gaza. And if there are considerations that do not allow it, then we can go to a deal. We need to talk to the public at eye level. I implore the decision-makers – make a decision."
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You talked about the younger generation. I believe in growing young and talented people. What is your message to everyone who is now finishing their army service?
"We are truly in the most difficult situation we know, but we will get out of it. It turns out that the State of Israel is the best creative home for what a young person needs in these years – firstly, it is a combination of entrepreneurship, flexibility, teamwork, and secondly, it is resilience, not to break. The State of Israel is the number 1 producer in the world of the supermen and superwomen needed for the next 50 years because we are a product of flexibility and resilience. Compared to other Western countries, there are 2.4 children per mother. The ingredients are excellent; there are just some problems with the management. Since we are going to get out of this situation, there is only one thing that worries me. Investments and the damaged brand are reversible things, so is the economy. There is one thing that is irreversible, and that is the departure of talent. I urge the Israeli public not to despair. Fifty amazing years are expected, and we need everyone here. The best investments come from times of depression. This is the time to invest in Israel. Investors in Israel do not despair."
