The continuation of the political crisis surrounding the legal reform also causes concern among the old high-tech companies.
After CEOs of start-ups and investors of venture capital funds spoke out on every stage against the reform, the organization that represents the old high-tech companies is now also standing up to warn of the consequences.
In a conversation with Israel Hayom, the chairman of the Hi-Tech Companies Association, Marian Cohen, warns that "the processes taking place these days have led to radical change and an uncontrollable process, and no one wants to operate in an uncontrollable environment.
We are not really on the edge of an abyss, but we see it, and it is a situation in which neither the companies, nor the employees, nor the shareholders can function," says Cohen.
"The voices I hear come from both sides."
Cohen, photo: Yehoshua Yosef
"I'm already afraid to look at the dollar exchange rate," says Cohen, "things happen quickly, and in a business environment it's less convenient. I'm not bothered by the increase in the dollar exchange rate, because it directly may be good for us. I am bothered by the reasons for the increase in the dollar exchange rate ".
sit down and come to an understanding
According to Cohen, who has been at the head of the organization for almost two years, the fear of the consequences of the continuation of the crisis led the organization to support the dialogue initiative of the country's president, Yitzhak Herzog.
"Now the situation is uncontrollable, so we need to sit down and talk and come to an understanding that will allow us to control the situation."
Israel, according to him, "does not operate in a vacuum, and we are neither the masters of wisdom nor the masters of the world. We must all truly hear each other, and not just pay lip service or ear taxes."
The high-tech protest, photo: the high-tech protest
The support initiative of the organization of high-tech companies and the industrialists' association was born by chance, he says.
"I have known President Herzog for a long time. He is one of ours. He took the initiative to talk, because the ends are too far and noisy, and what happens in the middle is not good for anyone. When he took the initiative, me and the president of the Federation of Manufacturers, Ron Tomer, were with him on a completely different matter, but the conversation turned into a support meeting for the president's initiative. We are in favor of any initiative that comes to support dialogue between all parties."
Cohen refused to state whether his personal position is for or against the reform.
"I'm not saying who's right, but it's clear that changes need to be made in the political and legal systems. Nothing is good when it stays the same forever. Are the voices in the newspapers the representative voice? I don't think they're the representative voice, but it's a voice that needs to be heard."
Do not take money out of the country
Cohen admitted in his words that the voices he hears below the surface come from both sides.
"I hear both from here and from here. People are pressuring us to react this way or to react differently, and this is legitimate because everyone wants their opinion to be published."
The answer he gives them, according to him, is that "political issues are not expressed".
Cohen also referred to the steps taken by some companies, including taking money out of the country, and said that he is in no rush to join them.
"We will not come out saying that we will take the activity out of the country, but we should not be checked when that will happen. On the contrary, we should act so that things calm down, because in the end we have to sell and the customers are looking at what is happening here."
Looking or led to look?
"I can't tell anyone what to hear. The CEO of the OurCrowd Foundation, John Medved, says that no one abroad cares. I spoke with investors from a well-known country in Central Europe, who said about the crisis in Israel that it is our internal political affairs, like theirs They have their own affairs. Maybe in the world there is a certain culture of not washing dirty laundry outside, and we also dirty it and then also wash it outside?"
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
