“The existential threat facing Israel isn't Hizbullah, Hamas or Iran. The danger comes from the social gaps, which require immediate attention from the country’s leadership,” says Dov Lautman, the chairman of Kav Mashveh and Arab Sector Economic Development Authority. Lautman recently resigned as chairman of Delta Galil Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: DELT; TASE: DELT). He made the comments during the opening session of the MAALA - Business for Social Responsibility annual conference.
Lautman added, “There is no area of social policy where we haven't seen gaps opening in the past decade: violence in the family, wealth and poverty. A society can be poor and strong, but it cannot survive with gaps like these. Our problems aren’t the problems of the Swedes or even the Americans.”
Lautman said, “If you compare our index with the US index, there’s still a long way to go. Bill Gates isn't a philanthropist; he understood very quickly that the wealth transferred from the country to him must be returned to the country. The way for the government to help the poor is through tax cuts.”
MAALA’s activities include the rating of 300 Israeli companies on social responsibility.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on October 15, 2007
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2007