As the government's planned judicial overhaul moves quickly through the Knesset, last night leaders of the Business Forum met with Likud MKs to warn them of the huge economic damage that the reforms would bring. Business Forum coordinator FOX owner Harel Wizel and the other businesspeople met with Likud MKs David Bitan, Hanoch Milwidsky, Eli Dallal and Shalom Danino. Among the business leaders at last night's meeting were Ishay Davidi, Natan Hetz, Lior Raviv, Liora Ofer, Leon Koffler, Adi Soffer Teeni, Gil Agmon, Ido Neuberger, Hay Galis and Zvi Schwimmer.
The Israel Business Forum encompasses 40 heads of banks and large companies in the country including Bank Hapoalim CEO Dov Kotler, Israel Discount Bank CEOP Uri Levin, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank CEO Moshe Lari, Shufersal chairman Itzik Abercohen, Azrieli Group CEO Eyal Henkin, SuperPharm chairman Leon Koffler, FIMI Opportunity Funds founder Ishay Davidi and Melisron chair Liora Ofer.
"Mass layoffs and high unemployment"
In recent weeks, representatives of the forum have met the President, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Education, the leaders of the opposition Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz and more. In a meeting with President Isaac Herzog a week ago, the heads of the forum said: "The legal reform will result in serious damage to economic stability, which will result in mass layoffs and the unemployment of many thousands of workers in all sectors."
In a letter distributed last week the forum wrote: "We grew up with and were educated according to the fundamental ideas and principles of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel and of the independence of the system of justice in the State of Israel. In all our businesses in industry and trade, real estate, hotels, banking and finance, men and women, secular and religious people, Arabs and Jews, people of the right, center and left, the entire political spectrum, work together in full harmony and with mutual respect.
"As business people and as managers of over 500,000 employees in the Israeli economy we are scrupulous about full equality of rights and respectful discourse in our companies, and wish to bring to the attention of the public that in talks we have held in the past few weeks and days with the president of the state and with members of Knesset from the coalition and the opposition, we made them aware of our economic assessment and the heavy fear of economic deterioration in the country as a result of continuation of the advancement of the legal reform in the form and the way that this has been done up to now."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 19, 2023.
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