Aha moment for the chief economics editor

by Philip Weiss on November 14, 2009 · 9 comments

I always miss the story. The other day I linked Sever Plocker’s piece in Ynet about Israel’s growing isolation and missed this line. A friend called my attention to it. Plocker is an influential Israeli journo, and the chief economics editor for Yediot Aharonot.

large foreign investors are pulling out of Israel.

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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

1 MRW November 14, 2009 at 9:22 am

I caught that in Plocker’s article. It indicated to me that Israel does not understand the 21st C paradigm; that’s the power of the material: it can see it see it first. Israel is being being run by old people, people as physically old as me and older, but with a deficient consciousness. Nobody, no nation, no people, no group, not one single person, will survive the next 10 years with 20th C thinking. No one.

[BTW, this is not to say that so-called 'youth' (physical age) has a handle on it. They don't. Most of them are too lazy and coddled to make the change. In my experience. This has to do with mental elasticity, awareness, and an ability to accept change for the greater good of all, whether you're five or 85.]

2 Mooser November 14, 2009 at 10:45 am

“large foreign investors are pulling out of Israel.”

I’m sure the Israels are just as body-conscious, if not more, than Americans. They are probably less reticent about voicing their opinions of one’s appearance.

3 slowereastside November 14, 2009 at 10:59 am

Does that mean Start Up Nation will not IPO? Someone should tell Dan Senor he needs to revise his prospectus.

4 VR November 14, 2009 at 11:36 am

What this means, whether some are aware of it or not, is that all of the conditions (the precursor signs) which were ripe during the South African campaign of BDS, for whom does the bell toll? This course is not going to be put up with any longer –

ITS AN UPRISING

5 Citizen November 14, 2009 at 12:58 pm

“They will not control us, we will be victorious.” Gee, remember Revolution song from the 1960s? From the comment section of v’s video clip:
“Take a Bow and Uprising…The new anthems for fuckin Governments.”

I like what MRW had to see in his comment above here. I’m also reminded of what
Phil’s wife said on their walk about accepting the inevitable trend. OTH, isn’t that what a lot of Germans did back in the day?

6 DICKERSON3870 November 14, 2009 at 1:04 pm

RE: “large foreign investors are pulling out of Israel.”

SEE: “Intel places barbed wire fence ahead of haredi protest”, By Ronen Medzini, 11/12/09

(ecxcerpts) The Shabbat wars continue in Jerusalem- Following Intel’s announcement it will begin activity at the Har Hotzvim plant on weekends, and the ultra Orthodox rabbis’ call to protest the move in a mass rally on Saturday, the electronic chip manufacturer played it safe, erecting Thursday a barbed wire fence on top of the existing iron fence surrounding its complex…

…However, outrage is at its peak among the haredim. A source close to MK Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism), who initiated the protests, told Ynet: “today it’s Intel, and tomorrow it will be the Malha mall. It has to stop here; it can’t go on another step…

“After what happened in Jerusalem, can’t Intel see the responsibility lies on their shoulders? If Intel is first, other factories will come and do the same. This cannot come at the expense of the Shabbat. Shabbat is above all,” said the source.

Earlier on Thursday, MK Maklev met with Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Intel’s CEO in an attempt to reach an agreement, but to no avail. Maklev’s aides claim that Intel’s CEO suggested reducing the number of employees working on Shabbat and hire non-Jews, but they told her this solution was not acceptable…

…In contrast, Jerusalem councilman attorney Shlomo Melik (United Torah Judaism) said that “Intel is the one who started the conflict, following a secular attitude of ‘there’s an opportunity’ after the parking lot battle.

“According to the Jewish religious laws we are obliged to protest, otherwise we will lose track of our purpose. The haredim do not interfere with what each person does in his own home, all we want is a public display of Judaism, because there is no other Judaism.

“Just like one must observe (the Shabbat) on public transport and in malls, the same goes for parking lots. I hope the protest helps, and the Intel international realized it has gained nothing,” said Melik.

7 DICKERSON3870 November 14, 2009 at 1:08 pm
8 potsherd November 14, 2009 at 2:40 pm

The price for harboring fanatical cults. The haredim are the real demographic threat to Israel and they will bring it down.

9 Chaos4700 November 15, 2009 at 2:38 am

Large US companies like Caterpillar are feeling the strain of their association with Israel. Every year their stockholder’s meeting has to deal with both the external protest on the street, and time spent debating the issue because enough stockholders have organized to keep putting the issue of Caterpillar’s collaboration on the meeting agenda.

Caterpillar’s pretty much been forced to treat the meeting like it’s something dirty that needs to be hidden away — execs need to come in from back entrances or face the protesters, stockholders who don’t merit VIP treatment get to see what all the fuss is about (and that there is a fuss), and more time every year needs to be taken out of the agenda to argue why Caterpillar can make money off of international law violations. On top of all that, the venue where they hold the meeting has to deal with the discomfort of having a protest outside their building — this last time, it was a bank, and to bank especially, image matters.

Caterpillar is still hanging onto its affiliation with the occupation, although I do think that’s getting strained — undoubtedly, there is pressure from the AIPAC/ADL types, but sooner or later the affiliation is going to cross the all important corporate line of profitability — once it becomes clear that they’re losing money, the relationship ends.

Of course, we could fix that in a microsecond by repealing the exclusive arrangement whereby corporations can “donate” money to Israel and still claim tax deductions (the only country outside North America whose charities get that privilege). But that would require enough legislators who aren’t bought and paid for (or blackmailed) into pushing laws that boost Israel at great cost to the American nation.

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