“Today, Israel has a million and a half people living below the poverty line. Every third child is classified as poor. This is an inconceivable figure, and we can’t accept it with equanimity. No issue is more important now for our national strength than this alarming statistic,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom said Saturday night. He was speaking on social issues at the opening of the “Globes” Israel Business Conference. He sounded almost as critical of government policy as Labor Party chairman MK Amir Perez.
”The lack of social justice is a result of economic crisis, from which we are only now beginning to emerge. The creation of gaps is a problem that belongs to all of us, not just poor people.
”We can’t have two economies here. We have one economy, and if it’s unhealthy, we’ll all pay the price.”
Shalom said that the key to relieving distress was reducing government intervention in favor of the business sector, with companies assuming responsibility for helping poor people.
Shalom recommended continuing the initiative for requiring public companies to report how much they set aside for donations to the community, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of profit.
Shalom called for an “economics of compassion.” He declared, “Recent economic policy must not continue. It doesn’t suit the reality of our lives, and its bad for Israel.”
In the political part of his speech, Shalom was applauded when the said that Israel needed civilian leadership, because “The era of generals is unsuitable for Israel’s leadership. We need to change the record,” he said. He added that priorities should be changed. The defense budget should be cut, without harming military industries, and social budgets should be increased.
In international affairs, Shalom said that following the thaw in relations with the Arab and Muslim world and the change in public opinion, secret contacts were taking place.
”Every step that improves political stability in the region leads directly to increased economic and social stability. It creates an environment for national and foreign investment, and prosperous and growing market. The internal threat, the social threat, is liable to cause irreparable damage,” Shalom said.
A number of social activists interrupted Shalom’s speech with cries of, “Capital and government organized crime,” as happened in the Sderot conference last week. Shalom continued speaking, and the activists were quickly removed from the hall.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on December 4, 2005