High gas prices could be a good thing for America.
That's what one Middle East expert t
High gas prices could be a good thing for America.
That's what one Middle East expert told me as he tried to explain that the high price of oil might force America to rethink its energy policy.
But is it possible to never pay for gas ever again?
Shai Agassi, ceo of Project Better Place, says, Yes.
He convinced the Israeli government that electric cars are the future. Israelis will get a significant tax break for buying electric. Renault-Nissan has agreed to build them. And the Israeli government has also approved building charging stations throughtout the country.
Agassi hopes that the U.S will follow.
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Added: 1 month ago
Views: 358
Trump Organization VP Estate Development and Acquisitions Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Do
Trump Organization VP Estate Development and Acquisitions Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, is in Israel on a dual mission. She will meet business and economic leaders for joint real estate and hotel ventures in Tel Aviv and other coastal cities, as well as in Jerusalem and Eilat, and she is also seeking Israeli investors for the Trump Tower Philadelphia project.
Ivanka Trump, 26, launched her international marketing campaign at the Tel Aviv Hilton. She said that the Trump Organization had decided to launch the campaign in Israel because of her close business and personal ties with Israelis
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 2,957
Israel's economy has done remarkably well for a country involved in a prolonged and violen
Israel's economy has done remarkably well for a country involved in a prolonged and violent political struggle over the Palestinian territories. The country's economy grew more than five percent last year -- faster than the U.S., Europe, UK and Japan.
While the Bank of Israel expects the country's fortunes to dip next year, along with the world economy, growth is still expected to exceed four percent. Not bad, given that the U.S., one of its biggest trading partners, is staring down the barrel of potential recession.
"The Israeli economy has managed to develop a kind of isolation from the political instability," says Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow of the Middle East Program at Chatham House.
"It's almost isolated, mainly because it's based on hi-tech, pharmaceutical industries, and chemicals, and I think these are the things that are less conditioned by the political situation."
Israel says it spends a greater percentage of its GDP on hi-tech research and development than any other country.
According to the Israel Venture Capital Research Center, 3,361 hi-tech companies are operating in Israel. And they're attracting foreign interest and dollars. In the first three quarters of 2007, they raised more than $1.2 billion dollars in funding, 10 percent more than the same period the previous year.
Yossi Vardi is an industry veteran. He backed his first technology business almost forty years ago and has so far lent his expertise to 65 fledgling companies.
"Our strength on the food chain is usually in the very early stages where you have to come with ideas, innovation and take great risks," Yossi Vardi says.
"The hi-tech industry is not a monolithic thing. In China, they do manufacturing. In India, they do coding. We are very good in the early stages, like Silicon Valley. And this is what the world is looking for in Israel."
The country's fortunes contrast sharply with the economic turmoil engulfing the Palestinian territories.
According to the World Bank, the Israeli per capita GDP is more than 20 times that of the Palestinians.
Two-thirds of Palestinian people are thought to be living in poverty, although some say the figure could be even higher.
Since the election of Hamas in 2006, private investment in the region has all but dried up.
The government is relying on loans, remittances and donor aid, but it's not enough to cover expenditure. The World Bank estimated the Palestinian National Authority was running up a deficit of $100 million a month in the first half of 2007.
This week, after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, U.S. President George W. Bush called for them to make "painful concessions" to reach a peace deal.
Bush has predicted a peace treaty will be signed by the time he leaves office in 2009.
Yossi Mekelberg from the foreign policy think-tank Chatham House says a deal would create economic benefits for both sides of the divide.
"I think the direct benefits of a peace agreement would be immense, both for the Israelis and the Palestinians," he says.
"When there is a peace agreement there will be more investment. The European Union, the United States, and others will investors will pour more money, as happened post-1993. And also, let's bear in mind there will be an extra growing economy that has more than four million people, the Palestinian economy, so, a peace dividend can be only positive.
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 362
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Israel's economy has done remarkably well for a country involved in a prolonged and violen
Israel's economy has done remarkably well for a country involved in a prolonged and violent political struggle over the Palestinian territories. The country's economy grew more than five percent last year -- faster than the U.S., Europe, UK and Japan.
While the Bank of Israel expects the country's fortunes to dip next year, along with the world economy, growth is still expected to exceed four percent. Not bad, given that the U.S., one of its biggest trading partners, is staring down the barrel of potential recession.
"The Israeli economy has managed to develop a kind of isolation from the political instability," says Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow of the Middle East Program at Chatham House.
"It's almost isolated, mainly because it's based on hi-tech, pharmaceutical industries, and chemicals, and I think these are the things that are less conditioned by the political situation."
Israel says it spends a greater percentage of its GDP on hi-tech research and development than any other country.
According to the Israel Venture Capital Research Center, 3,361 hi-tech companies are operating in Israel. And they're attracting foreign interest and dollars. In the first three quarters of 2007, they raised more than $1.2 billion dollars in funding, 10 percent more than the same period the previous year.
Yossi Vardi is an industry veteran. He backed his first technology business almost forty years ago and has so far lent his expertise to 65 fledgling companies.
"Our strength on the food chain is usually in the very early stages where you have to come with ideas, innovation and take great risks," Yossi Vardi says.
"The hi-tech industry is not a monolithic thing. In China, they do manufacturing. In India, they do coding. We are very good in the early stages, like Silicon Valley. And this is what the world is looking for in Israel."
The country's fortunes contrast sharply with the economic turmoil engulfing the Palestinian territories.
According to the World Bank, the Israeli per capita GDP is more than 20 times that of the Palestinians.
Two-thirds of Palestinian people are thought to be living in poverty, although some say the figure could be even higher.
Since the election of Hamas in 2006, private investment in the region has all but dried up.
The government is relying on loans, remittances and donor aid, but it's not enough to cover expenditure. The World Bank estimated the Palestinian National Authority was running up a deficit of $100 million a month in the first half of 2007.
This week, after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, U.S. President George W. Bush called for them to make "painful concessions" to reach a peace deal.
Bush has predicted a peace treaty will be signed by the time he leaves office in 2009.
Yossi Mekelberg from the foreign policy think-tank Chatham House says a deal would create economic benefits for both sides of the divide.
"I think the direct benefits of a peace agreement would be immense, both for the Israelis and the Palestinians," he says.
"When there is a peace agreement there will be more investment. The European Union, the United States, and others will investors will pour more money, as happened post-1993. And also, let's bear in mind there will be an extra growing economy that has more than four million people, the Palestinian economy, so, a peace dividend can be only positive.
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 604
In the last few years there has been an explosion of wine culture in Israel. There are man
In the last few years there has been an explosion of wine culture in Israel. There are many new wine stores all over Israel and numerous different types of wine, grape varieties & wine growing regions. Israelis are hungry for information, and wine appreciation courses are over subscribed. Many wine lovers have become winemakers, making their own wines, at home or in the garage. There are now well over 100 wineries in Israel -- from those producing millions of bottles, to the garagiste producing a few thousand. The quality is at worst international standard and at best, even world class.
Only in 1996 the wine consumption in Israel was 3.5 liters a head; by 2004 it had doubled to 7 liters a head. The local market is worth US $ 170 million a year. Exports of Israeli wines increased by 40 % in 2004. It is a small, vibrant, & successful industry with a variety and quality that will surprise those who have not visited Israel recently.
During my own visits to Israel's wineries, I have discovered an amazing new world, in which hundreds of people with the same passion have dedicated themselves to studying, enjoying & producing wine. It is almost as if their veins flow with wine not blood ! They talk about wines with the shining eyes of a fanatic and but also with a love that is greater than passion.
My personal discovery is that behind every simple bottle of wine there is a fascinating story; every bottle contains a soul which is alive as it changes & develops. Believe me, producing wine is not an easy thing to do.
I got the bug of this seductive business and have grown to love & appreciate both the stories of the people who make wine & the places where it is made. I have realized that only after fully understanding the background, is it possible to really appreciate the wine in the glass.
For the benefit of all the winemakers and the wine lovers - and also for me personally, I have decided to build this internet site: www.israelwines.co.il . It was initially launched in Hebrew only, but I have now introduced an English section.
Many hours have been dedicated to build this site; there is still a long way before us.
It seems as if the wine stories and inventions in the Israeli wine industry will never end -- new wineries seem to open daily.
I am an engineer by profession, working in the electronic field during the week and at the weekends I switch hats, change my way of thinking and enter the spirit & atmosphere of the world of wine.
Everything I am able to find about Israel wine, its vineyards, its viticulturists & winemakers, you will be able to find in this site which is dedicated to the wonderful product which I am so proud of: Israeli wine!
Please do not hesitate to contact me by email to give your opinion or to ask for information. I receive emails from all over the world and I would be happy to hear from you too. This site is a one man project, with the help of a few friends, set up & maintained by someone with a passion. My objective is to faithfully record what is happening on the wine scene in Israel. I personally visit the wineries, wine events, tastings, take photographs, conduct interviews, write articles and manage to keep everything updated. Most news about Israeli wine appears in israelwines.co.il first!
Cheers -- or as we say here, Le Chaim -- To Life !!
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 239
With billions in U.S. investment in Israel, a nuclear attack would dev...astate the econom
With billions in U.S. investment in Israel, a nuclear attack would dev...astate the economic engine
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 210
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Israel has become known for it's high-tech economy, but the New Jersey-sized desert countr
Israel has become known for it's high-tech economy, but the New Jersey-sized desert country is quickly getting noticed for it's next wave of success: water.
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 495
Israeli car company A Better Place wants to change how the world drives. Dafna Berezovski,
Israeli car company A Better Place wants to change how the world drives. Dafna Berezovski, the company's sales and marketing manager, explains how.
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 953
While Morgan Stanley(MS) decides whether to grant Israel 'developed' country status for it
While Morgan Stanley(MS) decides whether to grant Israel 'developed' country status for its' global indices, this decision will confirm what many savvy investors already know; that Israel is a very hot investment destination. Over the weekend none other than Warren Buffett spoke about his Israeli purchase. Buffett said on Saturday that the company's acquisition last year of the Israeli firm Iscar has worked out better than expected. Buffett said that he had very high expectations when Berkshire struck the deal, and that the metal-cutting-tool maker has "exceeded that in every way." "It's been a dream acquisition," he said.
We all are familiar with the stats. Israel sports the most companies traded on Nasdaq of any country except the US, the billions of venture capital money that continues to flow in, the educated workforce, and I could go on and on. Not to mention the estimated GDP growth of 3.2% for '08, a number that most western nations would love to have. What's so impressive is that all of this has been accomplished in such a short time. What started out as a dream by the country's founders, has, I am sure, exceeded their expectations.
As Israel looks forward to the next 60 years, I think it's safe to say that we can all expect more incredible innovation, as well as Israel becoming even more mainstream as an investment destination.
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Added: 2 months ago
Views: 277
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