With the blessing of President Isaac Herzog, Israel Hayom launched Wednesday its conference devoted to socioeconomic issues at the Binyanei HaUma event hall in Jerusalem.
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It was attended, among others, by philantropist and publisher of Israel Hayom Dr. Miriam Adelson, Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar, MKs, professional experts, and leaders from Israel's financial sector.
Adelson and Israel Hayom Editor-in-chief Omer Lachmanovitch opened the conference that deals with ways Israel can improve the nation's socioeconomic-employment resilience at both the national and household levels and will address both the economic and the social aspects of resilience. It also examines this question in the framework of Israel's national recovery from the COVID crisis.
"We have been through two complex years," Lachmanovich said. "And in my ways, they continue, in Israel and the world. The coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, vaccination campaigns, four elections, Operation Guardian of the Walls, unrest across Israel's streets, and what seems to be a new wave of terrorist attacks in these days in the center of Israeli cities.
He continued, "As if that was not enough, a war broke out in Ukraine, which brought with it images that we thought we would never see again, and thoughts of a new world order. The war created a massive wave of refugees flooding Europe and a tremendous opportunity for the Jews to return to their country and increase Israel's socio-economic resilience ... We consider it of paramount importance to hold an open and multi-voiced discourse, which will emphasize the need to strengthen national unity."
Adelson spoke of Tuesday's terrorist attack in Bnei Brak, saying, "We learn from battles and know how to overcome and act against them, because Israel is a miracle that never ceases … This week began with the Negev summit, an event that not even [Israel's first Prime Minister David] Ben-Gurion dreamed of. A threat from a nuclear Iran has become a possibility. This is Israel at its best," learning from hardship and paving a new way.
Sa'ar, who was interviewed at the conference by Israel Hayom's senior diplomatic correspondent Ariel Kahana, referred to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent statement, urging against "settler violence" in the wake of Ramadan.
"If I saw him, I would tell him that settlers of Judea and Samaria are targets of violence, they have suffered incessant violence and terrorism, so there is something wrong with that statement," he said, stressing that "we condemn all violence."
The agenda features four different sessions: the economic resilience session, which looks into ideas to bolster households in Israel after the COVID crisis and offers an overview of the country's current economic situation; a session devoted to the rising cost of living in Israel and ways in which it can be mitigated; a session on employment; and a session devoted to building social resilience and integrating Arab Israelis into the country's social fabric. The fourth session will also touch on the housing crisis.
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