World War II's secret Jewish commandos: X Troop
Prof. Shlomo Maital brings a particularly stunning yet-untold World War II story by Hunter College Professor Leah Garrett – a book about 87 Jewish commandos, an unlikely band of brothers, who together played a decisive role in defeating the hated Nazis.
Arab Israelis: Is anybody listening?
As Prof. Shlomo Maital writes in this article, we Israelis have many stellar qualities. But listening patiently to those with whom we may disagree is not one of them.
Iron Dome: The inside story
Prof. Shlomo Maital reviews the inside story of the iron dome project and the man behind it, by the person who headed the project at RAFAEL: Chanoch Levin.
How Israel conquered coronavirus
Prof. Shlomo Maital brings us the story of how Israel conquered COVID-19 and transitioned from initial chaos to ultimate success.
Ultra-Orthodox pull U turn on Vaccines
In this article Prof. Shlomo Maital explains why Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community initially dragged their feet on vaccination – and then abruptly changed their minds -and what we can learn from this episode?
2034: The next world war will be US versus China
Though we Israelis regard our country as an elephant, and act as if it were, Israel is in fact more like a mouse – especially, when its ally America faces off against its rising competitor, China, with which Israel has major economic ties.
Israel enjoys a baby boom, but the West is aging.
ALMOST UNIQUE among the nations of the world, Israel continues to enjoy a mini-baby boom, while the developed Western world suffers a baby bust, a trend further exacerbated by the global 2020 pandemic.
Yom Kippur War- The tragedy and triumph of Tel Saki
Prof. Shlomo Maital brings the incredible tale of a group of 28 soldiers trapped inside a bunker on Tel Saki, surrounded on all sides by Syrian forces. This is a story of, triumph and tragedy, of how they survived.
How do you win a Nobel Prize
In this article, the third of a series of articles by Prof. Shlomo Maital on Technion researchers who won the Nobel Prize. Prof. Maital interviews the Nobel Laureate for 2004 - Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, and shares the insights that emerged during a conversation about the path that led to receiving the award.
Economic populism
Would you put your car in the hands of a mechanic that did not learn car mechanics and has no understanding in cars?
Do Deficits Matter?
Do deficits matter? Should the government have spent more? Or less? Who will pay for the added debt? How does Israel compare to other countries? In this article Prof. Shlomo Maital explores these issues in depth.
Another lesson from the Corona Year
For many months now, mayors have been desperately trying to explain to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ‘disunity-government’, that they understand their city's situation better than the politicians sitting sealed in Jerusalem and would like to run the plague themselves.
Ageism out! Sageism in!
There are one million people over 65 in Israel– one person in every nine and By 2035, there will be 1.66 million elderly, as their numbers grow more than twice as fast as the general population.
How Jews Change the world
In this article, published in the Jerusalem Post, Prof. Shlomo Maital tells us about a century of Jewish genius that changed the world. Followed by an interview with Norman Lebrecht, a British journalist and novelist who wrote the book : ”Genius and Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947”.
the great money mystery
An interview with Arie Rotenberg - why the mountain of money created by Central Banks, In Israel and abroad , has not caused inflation?!
The business of sleep
An interview with Prof. Peretz Lavie, outgoing president of the Technion about his sleep research and resulting start-ups.
Polity without policy
What happen in democracies, when we the voters, the polity, cast our ballots without any clue about what those we are voting for plan to do? What if those we vote for have no idea themselves what they plan to do? And why are Israel and Western democracies in this pickle?
America’s decline – Israel’s trouble
President Trump says the US economy is stronger than it has ever been. And the numbers back him up. Numbers, shmumbers – America is sinking. One consequence is that Israel is in trouble.
Snow-capped idea volcanoes
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder said “Young people are just smarter!” So, Mark, here goes. I’m going to try to convince you that those over 60 not only have clever ideas but often know far better than young whippersnappers how to implement them.
To succeed in a start-up, you have to think like artists
Is Israel really the start-up nation? If you choose the right metric, the answer is no. Israel is indeed the world leader in the number of start-ups per capita, according to the Bloomberg Index - but is this the right measure? Isn't it more correct to check the number of successful start-ups per capita? If we measure this index, we will find that Israel is not at all leading. The rate of failures in the US, for example, is 90%; Sounds a lot, but it's much less than Israel.
Prey, work, study Torah
In this article, Prof. Shlomo Maital discusses the integration of ultra-Orthodox society into the labor force in Israel, the historical circumstances that led to the current situation, and the various incentives that are pushing more Haredi men to join the labor force, concurrently to their torah studies
Baby Boom
AN UNUSUAL Israeli reality TV series is about “one of the most intimate moments of [young couples’] lives. It’s a hospital delivery room….” I doubt there is anything like it on foreign television. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis watch the program.
Hatikva-The Real Story behind Israel's anthem
In this article, Shlomo Maital reviews the history of the Israeli anthem Hatikvah - the history of the writing of the anthem, the history of its words and music, and other (surprising) historical connections (Herzl hated it). In addition, Maital reviews the attitude of Israeli society and the Zionist movement to this anthem, which dates back a half century before the State of Israel was founded.
Speaking truth to power
One of the key foundations of democracy is under assault, in Israel and the US. It is the ability of experts to speak truth to power and the willingness of political leaders to listen to what they say.
what lies ahead in 2018?
In this paper, Prof. Shlomo Mei-Tal reviews the important statistics and trends in the Israeli economy in 2017, and the forecasts for the changes that are expected to affect the economy in 2018
ALIBABA! SABABA!
In this article, Prof. Shlomo Maital analyzes Israel's influence on the entry of foreign companies that employ many high-tech workers, such as Alibaba and Amazon.
Saving TEVA
ISRAEL’S FLAGSHIP global giant, Teva Pharmaceuticals, is in deep trouble. Teva’s share price was cut in more than a half. The latest collapse was in part the result of a misguided $40 billion acquisition that left Teva with massive debt and the patent expiration of Copaxone, a drug for treating multiple sclerosis that, at its peak, brought Teva $4 billion in annual revenue and half of the company’s total profit. TEVA One of Israel's largest companies was founded before the establishment of the State of Israel and its importance to Israel is great. Summary Ways to Save TEVA.
LET'S SAY HELLO
Intel's $ 15 billion purchase of Mobileye could be the way to go for Israeli hi-tech bringing in jobs and expertise rather than taking away brains
Will Iran win the technology war?
In his article, Prof. Shlomo Maital analyzes the investment of the Iranian government (and even the religious establishment in Iran) in technological and scientific education, and its results, against the investment in the State of Israel in those fields.
The Best of times, The Worst of times
Hugh forest fires that left hundreds homeless and caused over a billion shekels in damages highlighted the ability of Israelis to rally in times of adversity, but also fanned sectarian tensions and raised questions about disaster preparations
Follow the money
How will Donald Trump’s economic outlook affect Israel and the world?
A Swiss-Israel merger?
Swiss-Israel merger? Not Quite, but Israel certainly has a lot to learn from Switzerland, which has nearly double its per capita GDP.
A Tale of debt and darkness
Eliezer Fishman faces the largest ever bankruptcy of an Israeli businessman. How did the banks allow things to go so far?
How to change the world
What would happen if an Israeli invention replaced conventional internal combustion engines?
The Eilat Casino Gamble
If casinos are opened in Eilat, will they really boost the city's employment and well-being
Angels Over Tel Aviv
The White City has become one of the world’s most vibrant start-up ecosystems with angel investments playing an important role.
The world in IdO
Israeli start-up companies play a major role in the return to the future of the lucrative industry of objects online.
Is the buck passing?
The implications for Israel of a declining dollar are serious; does the government have a contingency plan?
Still in First Grade
2 million Israeli children began the new school year on September 1, including 57,477 smiling freshfaced and hopeful six-year-olds who began first grade. They showed up at 4,805 schools with backpacks, pencils, sandwiches and anticipation. But all too often, our children quickly learn that our schools are frozen perpetually in first grade.
Internet of everything
Israeli start-ups are playing an important role in burgeoning new industry known as the Internet of Things
Heureux comme un Israelien
Si Israel se regardait dans le miroir, il verrait un pays rempli de gens heureux, en bonne sante, globalement optimistes et resilients. Bref, un pays qui s’en sort plutot bien.
The TEVA VS. MYLAN
In the battle of the giants it is Israel’s Teva that is the heavyweight, and the American company, the lightweight
Crossing Death Valley
It is very difficult to do business in Israel, especially for a start-up seeking to grow independently
Satellites that tango
A growing number of Israeli start-ups are excited by the potential of the growing civilian space industry, now estimated at nearly 300 billion dollar.
Mitzva bonds
Social bonds could link performance with funding and, ultimately, rebuild the public’s trust, eroded by years of waste and corruption.
Needed: Goliaths instead of Davids
Israel needs more than start-up exits, it needs companies that can scale up to global giants. Web builder Wix is taking up the challenge.
Addicted to cheap money
A seismic reversal of financial markets is on the cards, with falling bond and stock prices
On wings of carbon
Israel Aerospace Industries is engaged in high-tech manufacturing for the F-35 fighter jet project.
The pensions time bomb
In less than a decade, payments from the old-age benefits fund will exceed income, and by 2042 or earlier, the whole fund will be gone. Despite 20 years of legislation and reforms, the penion crisis has become worse.
Xin Chào, Vietnam!
Vietnamese want to learn the Israeli 'secret sauce’ of technology-intensive entrepreneurship
Shocks, sheikhs and shale
The price of oil peaked at $145 a barrel in July 2008 and is now below $50. The cause: Saudi oil sheikhs refuse to slash production to stabilize prices, while American shale production soars.
Tel Aviv white elephant
The ‘New’ Central Bus Station languishes in semi-neglect, a strange, partly unseen, humming underworld of activity.
Israel, by the numbers
According to the statistics, Israel is quite well off, fairly cheerful, healthy, and great place to live and raise children.
The dismal science meets the shrinks
What happens when economics, known for over two centuries as the dismal science, meets psychology, whose practitioners often called "shrinks"? Economics become a whole lot less dismal and a great deal more useful and interesting.
Atop Mt. Intel
David Perlmutter, who rose to become the most senior Israeli corporate executive, shares his insights on implementing radical innovation at very big companies.
The battle of the budget
Who will pay for the Gaza war? A three-way conflict between security, social and fiscal considerations. A Netanyahu-Lapid compromise leaves taxes unchanged for the 2015 budget and defines added defense spending as “one-time only”.
THE ASIAN BUYOUT
What are the pros and cons of selling Israeli companies to Asian investors?
When the bubble bursts
Soaring property prices are like riding a tiger – if prices continue to rise, it's bad; if they fall, it's bad, very bad.
ENTREPRENEUROVIRUS
The Zisapel approach encourages creative people to leave big and growing companies and start small ones.
Israel's China Dilemma
How can Israel build trade and investment with China, without damaging ties with the US and Europe?
It's All in the Family
Contrary to conventional wisdom, many family firms, such as Sano, the consumer products company, are exceedingly well managed.
Rethinking the Draft
How can conscription be modernized and improved to achieve Israel's goals and maintain its security?
Dissecting BDS
Is the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions movement truly a threat to Israel? It is a mistake to lump B, D and S together – they are utterly different. Sanctions are the main threat.
Who Will Heal the Hospitals?
The crisis at Hadassah, the country's leading medical center, is only symptomatic of the deep malaise affecting Israel's medical system.
Strong shekel blues
Has the Bank of Israel thrown in the towel in its war against the appreciation of the shekel?
In search of a cure
Erez Vigodman, the new CEO of Teva, Israel's premier global company, has to work fast to pull the conglomerate out of crisis.
Visionary optimist - Dov Lautman 1936-2013
INDUSTRIALIST DOV LAUTMAN died November 23 following a decade-long battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was 77. He is survived by his son, Noam, and three grandchildren.
A woman’s job
All Karnit Flug has to do is stabilize the currency, battle inflation and deflation, cool housing prices, and fight inequality and poverty.
Getting Future Ready
Israel may be a land of hi-tech milk and honey but when it comes to public services it has yet to enter the 21st century. Carmela Avner became the Government’s first CIO Chief Information Officer, and moved Israel ahead toward e-Government – but after nearly 18 months in office, she has resigned; others will need to carry on with her work.
Technion in China
A Hong Kong entrepreneur joins forces with an Israeli university to spur innovations in mainland China
48 Herzl St.
The shopkeepers of Haifa's main drag paint a portrait of Israel's struggling small businesses.
The chosen few
How literacy helped the Jews: This new book, The Chosen Few, shows how the Jewish people survived and thrived, until the Iberian Expulsion of 1492, because of Torah study and widespread literacy – It was not anti-Semitism that shaped the Jews’ destiny, but literacy.
The debilitating brain drain
Israel must find a way to ensure that its brightest minds remain at home rather than seek greener pastures abroad.
Middle class under siege
Only coins and tadpoles have just a head and a tail; societies, in contrast, can't survive and thrive without something in the middle
Ideas from Nature
Scientists are drawing inspiration from the natural world, and using what they learn to help solve problems for humans
The screwed generation
Young Israelis have become increasingly poor, squeezed by rising housing costs and higher taxes.
Warp speed for networks
Mellanox hardware can transfer a hundred 2,600-page Encyclopedia Britannica's every second.
Be like Kahlon
Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon has had a significant impact on the lives of ordinary Israelis.
Kahlon Vs. Flug
The finance minister wants competition, The Bank of Israel governor, stability. Who is right and can we enjoy both?
Whose gas is it?
It is vital that development of Israel’s gas fields should move ahead rapidly
DO GOOD, DO WELL
Social start-ups are filling the gaps left by shrinking government budgets
