ISRAELCountry-profile | Rajiv Poplai

AGENDA• Country Overview• History of Israel• Political situation• International Relations• Economic situation• Social Overview• Conclusion

COUNTRY OVERVIEW• Climate• People– Ethnicity– Language

• Currency

GEOGRAPHY

MAIN CITIES

Tel-Aviv

HaifaJerusalem

PEOPLE AND RELIGIONS

• Declared Independence in 1948• Went subsequently into Arab-Israeli war. • 1972 – Palestinian gunmen kill 11 Israeli athletes

at Munich Olympics.• 1979 – Israel and Egypt declared peace

MAIN CITIES

• Liberal Democracy – Unicameral parliament: Knesset– Currently 31st Govt under the 17th Knesset, led by Ehud

Olmert

• Secular-religious divide• Ethnic-Economic divide

POLITICAL SITUATION

• A significant portion of the Muslim world does not recognize Israel as a legitimate state.

• To the United states, Israel is the closest ally in the Middle East ($30 billion in military aid between 2008 to 2017)

• The law of return.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Considered to be the most developed country in middle east with highest Human Development Index (0.932)

• Largely self-sufficient in food production• Israel is a global leader in water conservation and

geothermal energy.

ECONOMIC SITUATION

• Open multi-racial society• Highest Literacy rate in middle east• Almost mandatory military drafting.

SOCIAL OVERVIEW

• Significant contributor to Science and Technology.• Prominence in following fields: genetics, medicine,

agriculture, computer sciences, electronics, optics, engineering and other high-tech industries.

• Global recognition in Military technology, Theoretical Physics, Quantum Physics, Caner Research, etc.

• Major Institutes: – The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, is home to Israel’s

only Nobel Laureate, Profs. Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover, recipients in 2004 for their discovery of Ubiquitin

– Weizmann Institute – The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Israel’s oldest and largest– Tel Aviv University: Israel’s largest on-site university

SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS

US

• Microsoft• Pratt & Whitney• AOL Time Warner• Intel• IBM• Boeing Enterprises• Cisco Systems• GE• Lucent• 3Com• Hewlett Packard• Merrill Lynch• Motorola• Sun Microsystems

Europe

• Siemens• DaimlerChrysler• Volvo• Cable & Wireless• Baan• Volkswagen• Deutsche Telecom• L’Oreal• British Telecom• Danone• Ares Sereno• Unilever

Asia

• Samsung Electronics• Daewoo• Nomura• Hutchison Telecomm.• LG Group• Sony• Toyo Ink• Hyundai• Acer Computers• Sumitomo Trading• Fuji• Honda

MULTINATIONAL PRESENCE

Source: IMD - Institute for Management Development, World Competitiveness Yearbook- 2004/5

4.2

4.9 4.9 5.0 5.3 5.45.9

6.3 6.46.6

7.07.3

7.67.9

ENTREPRENEURSHIP INDEX

TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP

“Thanks to quality education, Israel is one of the mostadvanced countries in the world. … Israel is advancing in high-tech even more than

other developed countries” Bill Gates, CEO Microsoft, World Economic Forum, Davos, January 2000

TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP

“Israel’s market is relatively large and sophisticated, it boasts the world’s greatest per capita number of engineers, scientists and doctors. The Israeli economy is simply a reflection of the country’s greatest natural resource - which is the brainpower and ingenuity

of its citizens”

Mike Zafirovski ,COO,Motorola 2003

• A synthesis of opposing behaviors and attitudes• Think and function in a “short-term” environment and framework

– an environment of temporal uncertainty - creates a “culture of haste”– Want to achieve tangible outcomes, taking “shortcuts” and improvising to generate

quick results• Suspicious, wary, and skeptical both in personal and professional

environments– tend to over-ponder conceivable risks and attempt to minimize possible negative

outcomes• Survival and advancement through improvisation and innovation is a crucial

factor– develop novel solutions that deviate from “standard practice”

• Individuality, spontaneity and a strong, highly cherished sense of personal freedom– Detracts from the ability to team and cooperate effectively in groups

• Invest time to develop social contacts and intense interpersonal relationships– A result of living in a condensed and compromised environment

• A profound sense of pride in their achievements– At times surfaces as “elitism” or a “we know better” attitude

BUSINESS MINDSET

• Potpourri of many immigrant nationalities and their particular ethnic traits and conducts– predominantly Western value system - most customs and

unspoken social norms are western

• Generally very polite, helpful, friendly and outgoing

• Tend to hurry about their business at times on an emotional edge – Visitors should expect some impatience, infrequent outbursts and

line cutting– Israelis are notorious for their dislike of queues.

PUBLIC BEHAVIOR

• Very expressive, communicative, opinionated and outgoing– Debate and discussion are a national “pastime”

• Perceived as “aggressive communicators”. – Physical sounds of the Hebrew language are frequently construed by

foreign listeners as being brash and argumentative.• Usually stereotyped as interruptive communicators

– Do not have “native” command of the foreign language so need to concentrate

– This shifts energy from “comprehension” to physical “listening” – Hurried attempts “to keep up” can be understood as interruptive– Therefore speak slowly and allow pauses for conversational redirect.

• Often accused of using their native language (Hebrew) to conceal conversations from foreign guests– switch automatically to Hebrew for convenience purposes– Guests who feel uncomfortable should feel free to request that

conversations be limited to English

COMMUNICATING WITH ISRAELIS

• Dress and behave modestly and follow the host’s lead. • Acceptable gestures and common forms:

– Eye contact, courteous greetings, an occasional sensitive touch, handshakes, smiles, gentlemanly compliments and subtle, non obtrusive gesturing.

• When interacting with Israeli Muslims refrain from using the left hand for handshakes and gift giving. – The left hand and soles of feet are considered impure

• Visitors should refrain from greeting, touching or extending a handshake to both Jewish and Muslim devout women.

• If wife is introduced a visitor can respond – else desist. • Western offensive hand gestures are just as offensive in Israel• If you do not understand your Israeli counterpart’s English – ask him to repeat

– Conversely, ask your Israeli counterparts to tell you when they do not understand you.

• Use simple words and phrases to convey ideas.– Refrain from using “business-speak” or “politically correct” idioms

• Use the word “problem” instead of “challenge”.

DO’S AND DON’TS

• Israel is a country of paradoxes– Small size yet has a diverse culture, geography– Full of troubles yet economically strong– Great promise in R&D– ‘Do or do not’ – there is no try

CONCLUSION