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How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

bbc.co.uk

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Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#41

Post by marcf »

ugh wrote: post #8
cq wrote: post #2

Israel has extreme human rights issues they need to deal with before I'll consider doing business with them. The Israeli government insists on continuing to settle its citizens onto Palestinian territory, driving local Palestinians off their land. As long as settlements continue, businesses should not look to Israel as a country to work with.

With the Israeli government? Or with Israelis in general? Not doing business with Israelis because you disagree with policies of their government seems nonsensical to me.

Here is a great website that details what can be done and why it is effective to boycott those who are affiliated with the occupation:

http://www.whoprofits.org/

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#42

Post by fistofjohnwayne »

exit wrote: post #35
reuven wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right. Israel does have serious human-rights issues with the Palestinians. But: Israel also has a thriving democracy that subjects its government officials to constant, withering criticism and investigation. We have a court system that isn't afraid to punish government officials. (We just sent a former president to prison for rape, and a former prime minister is being tried for corruption.) We have a free pres…

specifically because israel has many characteristics of a liberal western democracy, it's worth being particularly concern about how militarism, ethnic nationalism, etc. flourish there. by and large we know what's wrong with north korea, libya under gaddafi, etc. we need to pay particular attention to a country that can almost pass as western and still perpetrate atrocious human rights violations, because it's more p…

Additionally, due to America's ongoing aid to Israel, Americans might express concern over what they are funding.

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#43

Post by marcf »

DanielShir wrote: post #10
jauer wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are Israel's issues any worse than China? Would you refuse to do business with China?

Even the comparison to China seems like an overkill. Israel is a democracy, China isn't. Israel has free speech, China doesn't. The two can hardly be compared.

Israel is only a democracy for those included as citizens. There are millions of Arabs in the West Bank who are explicitly excluded as citizens while the Jewish Israeli settlers all around them are considered Israeli citizens.

Israel is a democracy for those that it wants in its democracy and it is military rule for those that wants excluded.

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#44

Post by rcamera »

adrianwaj wrote: post #30

"Another example is Boxee. The five Israeli founders decided from the get-go to headquarter the company in Delaware in the United States, but locate the company's research and development office in Tel Aviv." How many other "Israeli startups" are registered as US businesses and pay tax to the US government, let alone sell-out to US corporations, and funded by non-Israeli sources? Israeli entrepreneurs? Yes. Israeli s…

You should do a better research. If there weren't Israeli startups, the country wouldn't show the highest domestic expenditure in R&D as percentage of the GDP[1], nor would it have ranked second only to the United States in invested private-equity capital as a share of GDP[2]. Israel is also the home of the most foreign companies on the NASDAQ index, surpassing Canada[3]. There are over 6,500 companies between high-tech companies, venture capital and private equity funds, investment companies, technological incubators and Service Providers[4].

[1] http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/fulltext/301...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_capital_in_Israel

[3] http://www.city-journal.org/2009/19_3_jewish-capitalism.html

[4] http://www.ivc-online.com/

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#45

Post by Oscarus »

Ashkenazi Jews comprise a significant fraction of the population of Israel, and they are a rather intellectually fecund group. Ashkenazim earned roughly a quarter of Nobel prizes, Fields medals, ACM Turing awards, and over 60% of John Bates Clark medals, and account for roughly a quarter of Ivy League students.

Those figures above come from a population where Ashkenazi Jews comprise 2% of the population. They constitute at least 10x as much of the population proportionally, in Israel. (It's hard to get an exact figure due to admixture between Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi Jews.)

Having an abundance of such people, relative to America, has surely helped. The specific circumstances surrounding Israel and its birth help to channel its brightest people into startups and technology, and less into law, finance and policy, as in America.

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#47

Post by tachat »

jarodym wrote: post #27
jarodym wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right, it's irrelevant. Let's just talk about meebo and shmeebo here.

It's understandable that my comment was inferred as being anti Israel. You can't say anything about Israel without it being inferred as such. However, I was merely pointing out some news that I thought was important; the kind of news that would never be covered by our media. I like to be informed seeing how recessions and wars can directly and indirectly affect my business. Things are heating up over there and Israel…

are you trying to say something about israel?

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#48

Post by adrianwaj »

rcamera wrote: post #44
adrianwaj wrote: post #30

"Another example is Boxee. The five Israeli founders decided from the get-go to headquarter the company in Delaware in the United States, but locate the company's research and development office in Tel Aviv." How many other "Israeli startups" are registered as US businesses and pay tax to the US government, let alone sell-out to US corporations, and funded by non-Israeli sources? Israeli entrepreneurs? Yes. Israeli s…

You should do a better research. If there weren't Israeli startups, the country wouldn't show the highest domestic expenditure in R&D as percentage of the GDP[1], nor would it have ranked second only to the United States in invested private-equity capital as a share of GDP[2]. Israel is also the home of the most foreign companies on the NASDAQ index, surpassing Canada[3]. There are over 6,500 companies between high-t…

And you should stop being complacent.

Did you see the recent protests on Rothschild Boulevard? The article mentions that boulevard 4 times as "Silicon boulevard - the place to watch."

Check out: http://israelsciencetechnology.blogspirit.com (it's down http://web.archive.org/web/20110708020809/http://israelscien...)

See how many acquisitions? To me that's just wrong - even though it may be right for the Rothschilds.

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#49

Post by YoungEnt »

marcf wrote: post #40
ugh wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think Israel and South Africa are in any way comparable.

Both South Africa and Israel were created by European refugees fleeing persecution. Both countries became very militaristic and has Western allies who overlooked the way they treated their natives. Both countries where populated by a people who felt that their culture was under attack and vulnerable.

No one is overlooking the way Israel treats the natives. They treat the Jews fine! Oh, by natives you meant Arabs? Well that would just be a fallacy to say that.

In South Africa, the minority ruled OVER the majority. THAT is the definition of apartheid. In Israel, the Majority rules the minority. Which is the definition of democracy.

Also, there is a reason they are called "Arabs" and not "Israeli", its because they are originally from Arabia, not Israel. They have no roots in Israel.

Re: How Israel turned itself into a high-tech hub

#50

Post by YoungEnt »

marcf wrote: post #43
DanielShir wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even the comparison to China seems like an overkill. Israel is a democracy, China isn't. Israel has free speech, China doesn't. The two can hardly be compared.

Israel is only a democracy for those included as citizens. There are millions of Arabs in the West Bank who are explicitly excluded as citizens while the Jewish Israeli settlers all around them are considered Israeli citizens. Israel is a democracy for those that it wants in its democracy and it is military rule for those that wants excluded.

First you say Israel doesn't rightfully own the west bank, and then you say Israel should give all west bank Arab residents citizenship?

You'r contradicting yourself.

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