Amphitheater in Prokit city of Kinneret.
Imaging (photo: VISOARCH)
When you ask Michael (Michi) Ratzon, the chairman of Av-Gad company, which is more interesting, in politics or in business, he admits that this dilemma always exists, "but since I didn't want to be dependent on this world of politics, I kept my place in the business world.
In 2012 I made a final decision that I was leaving the political world.
I'm in the loop, but not active.
Today I focus entirely on my family and the world of business."
Retzon, 70, born in Petah Tikva, served as a MK in the 13th and 16th Knesset on behalf of the Likud, and was the Deputy Minister of Taxation. He also served as chairman of the Avner Insurance Company, And between the years 2009-2012 he was the chairman of the board of directors of the NATA company.
"Throughout my life, since I was released from the IDF, I have been in business, mainly in the insurance and construction fields, except for a period when I was a MK and the National Assembly," he says.
"I made the decision to retire from politics at the time because of the compulsion to do good and the persecution of public figures, which is inhumane and indecent. Labels are attached to you regardless of your qualifications, who you are, and your giving. You pay a price not only personally, but as a family. There is no justification for this and it is It's unfair. That's also why there are good public figures who run away from public life, and the one who loses from this is the public and the people of Israel."
Av-Gad management.
From the right: Karin Varon, CEO of Av-Gad Civil Engineering, Michael Ratzon, Chairman, Asnat Idan, Director of Human Resources and Naomi Poleg, Vice President and Legal Advisor (Photo: Private)
Local in business
According to Retzon, the activity that accompanies the business world is mainly what draws him there.
"First of all, in business you are naturally in the world of doing, and I like doing," he says.
"When I was in politics and I had the opportunity to be in the world of action, then I really liked it, because that's how I was brought up to give myself to the country, I'm also a colonel in the reserves.
This dilemma between business and politics always exists, but since I never wanted to depend on politics, because I know this world, I kept my place in the business world." Nevertheless, did you adopt
something from politics for the benefit of the business world?
"From politics, I mainly brought my ability to deal with business with the public system.
In the business world you constantly rub shoulders with the public interest and you have to know how to work with it: from the government and continue in local authorities and even in bureaucracy and regulation.
It is not easy.
You see large companies having entire departments or special people for the field of regulation as a result of the need to deal with regulation and bureaucracy problems.
It is not good that it exists on such a large scale in the country and I hope they will take care of it.
I don't need these departments, I know the systems how they work and I usually try to guide my people how to deal with it.
It is not that simple.
The bureaucratic system in the country and the regulation eat up every good part."
The Av-Gad company, which is traded on the stock exchange and focuses on urban renewal, was founded by Retzon in 2009, just before he started his position at the NTA.
Today, two of his five children work in the company: the son Ram, is the CEO of the company. The son, Oded, is the company engineer. Ratzon's three daughters have developed their own careers in other fields.
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City of Kinneret project.
Imaging (photo: VISOARCH)
Oh my Kinneret
As mentioned, until now the company has mainly focused on projects in the field of urban renewal in the center of the country, from Rishon Lezion to Hadera.
Now the company is simultaneously entering into a large tourism project on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, "City of Sea of Galilee".
"We are one of the leading companies in the field of urban renewal in Israel. We made a strategic decision that we need to squint to the periphery," Retzon says.
"The new project is mainly in the field of tourism, 400 housing units are also planned for it, but its main mass is tourism. I served in the army in Golani in the north, I used to travel a lot in this area and I would see the Sea of Galilee and my heart regrets how we miss the most beautiful natural gem of the State of Israel."
What is the project expected to include?
"The world of tourism is the next trend of the world. Due to the corona virus, everyone has become pleasant and mobile all over the world. It is time to give a strong push in the world of tourism. In this project I am a partner with Zohar Oved, Gil Vardi, Zalman Yilizarov and Roni Peled.
After Passover, the project will already have permits and we will start the excavations.
The project has a special combination, for example a theater with 3,500-4,000 seats, a unique congress center, an entertainment center with six cinemas, a promenade facing the Sea of Galilee, there will be a special hotel that will sit on top of the theater.
You can sit in your room and watch a performance by Shlomo Artzi.
There will be two bridges going down to the sycamore beach.
This is the first stage.
The next phase will include 810 hotel rooms, four large five-star hotels.
At the moment there is abnormal interest from international chains.
We have already sat down for talks with two large chains, Accor and Intercontinental, and on the way also Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.
There is great interest.
I am now in negotiations, receiving offers, looking into it."
In the third phase of the project, says Ratzon, "More than 400 special housing units will be built that sit on a mountain rock facing the Sea of Galilee. Also, every hotel will have hot Tiberias water, and the residential neighborhood that is being built will also have a country house with bathing pools with thermal water According to my estimate, the cost of the project is 2-3 billion shekels. I believe that in about seven years the entire project should be established, assuming there will be no special malfunctions."
Who is the target audience?
"By and large, all the people of Israel, international tourism, and there is also a special crowd of Christians who like to come to this area. I have no doubt that this will be a crazy lift to Lake Kinneret, lifting it up dramatically, and of course the city of Tiberias and all the nearby settlements. It will add about 3,000 jobs , and revenues of over NIS 100 million per year for the state. This is a huge growth engine. I want to turn this project into a national project, I hope the government will help me with this, but I will not stop in any case."
City of Kinneret, visualization (Photo: VISOARCH)
Demands occupied
You have been involved in real estate for many years. How would you characterize the current situation?
"Real estate prices have reached an abnormal peak in recent years. We haven't even had time to breathe and the apartments have already been sold at insanely high prices. It's not normal, it doesn't make sense, and it shouldn't have to get there. But it happened for many reasons. Today, demand has not decreased, but is 'occupied'. People are searching in a time of uncertainty.
First of all, interest rates are rising unreasonably.
It shouldn't have gone up in this way, but we have no control over that, the governor controls the interest rate.
On the other hand, there is social uncertainty, there is great fear in the public, it cannot be denied, and people are on the fence.
But at the end of the day the demands have not decreased, they exist, I see them.
People come, are interested.
Also, there are very few flats on the shelf.
I assume that demand will return as soon as the situation stabilizes, ending the story of the reform.
In about six months we will again see the market return to sanity, I hope not with a high price increase, but there will be a price increase.
In six months to a year, prices will start to rise again, I hope not at the same rate as they rose before."
Speaking of reform, what do you think about that?
"The reform is necessary, it must be, it is not something that is in question. You can argue about its depth, about its format, but the reform had to be. On the other hand, as a nation that needs to take care of each other and be united, you also cannot ignore others and you need to create dialogue. In some of the opponents of the reform, there are those who are more moderate and are ready for negotiations, and some are not interested in negotiations because what interests them is only to overthrow the government and burn the world. I
assume that eventually common sense will prevail and there will be negotiations. I know the individuals who are acting personally and I know that they are an adversary Levin and certainly Netanyahu - are not as extreme as they are portrayed, and they will try to talk. The problem is that there is no one with whom. They are all prisoners of the concept, those on the side of the protest, and those who want to pass the reform at any cost."
Economists warn that the reform will harm the economy.
"There is no connection between the reform and the economy, but there is a connection because the protest talks about it. Just saying that the reform will harm the economy is already an injury, but the injury is because they say it. Theoretically there is no connection between the reform and the economy. It should not hurt, it is a political debate of sorts Other.
I'm not saying it's not a legitimate debate, and therefore we should sit down, but there is nothing between it and the economy. Whoever is running this protest is doing everything to harm the economy, to find the context for it. It makes me very sad that citizens are loyal to the state, scores no less Better people than me do such a thing. But I can't close my eyes, I see it happening, and therefore, as mentioned, we need to talk to them."
Women can
Regardless of the fact that International Women's Day was celebrated less than two weeks ago, at least half of the senior employees of the Av-Gad company are women, who hold various positions, such as CEO of the Av-Gad Civil Engineering Company, VP-Legal Counsel and more.
"I never noticed it," says Ratzon.
"My wife, Prof. Nava Retzon, is the head of the School of Health Professions at Tel Aviv University. Our eldest daughter is a lecturer at the university, a second daughter is involved in emergency organization all over the world, and a third daughter is involved in the field of education. For me, it is completely natural for women to have successful careers."
In the public sphere, for example, there is still no adequate representation of women.
"True, there is still little service in the government and CEOs.
But I'm not sure it's discrimination.
I mean, it might also be discrimination, but I'm not sure it's just discrimination.
Take for example women who run and you will see that, relative to some of the population, they are less likely to run for all kinds of positions.
One should examine, for example, how many candidates there are in a certain party in relation to men, and how many of them were elected.
Women should be encouraged to cope.
In many areas women are better than men.
They have emotional intelligence that helps them deal with situations and people better than men.
Men are more fixed, women are more flexible in their ability to think, in their emotional intuition.
You should always point the finger at women first.
That women will run, that they will submit their candidacies, that they will not take childbirth and the family-domestic issue as a limiting thing.
Women can do both, and no less than men."
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Michael Ratzon
Kinneret
