Merage Foundation CEO: If you want to strengthen the Israeli economy, invest in the Negev

Nicole Hod Stroh, Executive Director of the Merage Israel Foundation, which has been working to develop the Negev for over 25 years, was among the speakers at a special panel at Maariv’s economic conference at the Carlton Tel Aviv Hotel. The panel discussed the country’s future challenges, with an emphasis on the southern region.

“If we want to finance the huge economic burden resulting from the war, the Israeli economy must generate growth. Israel’s significant growth engine is the Negev,” said Hod Stroh in a panel moderated by journalist Keren Uzan.

“This is an issue that Israeli governments have not prioritized over the past decades. They have forgotten the Negev, which constitutes 60 percent of the country’s territory. Today, Israelis understand how critical the Negev is to the future of the State of Israel. The Negev is the only place where there is an abundance of land, advanced agriculture, fertile ground for research, excellent community life, high-quality education, magnificent tourism, and dozens of wineries. The Negev has everything it takes to be a game changer for the Israeli economy.” 

The Negev has assets to invest in

 Hod Stroh spoke about her background, growing up in Colombia. “I know about the periphery and Third World conditions,” she said. “The Negev is not a periphery. In the Negev, we have assets. The farmer in the Negev is a pioneer and a scientist, and he knows how to produce agriculture in the harshest climate conditions. What is needed is to invest.”

Hod Stroh also called the Israeli public to visit the Negev. “If you want to strengthen the economy in Israel, come and vacation in the Negev.”

Advocate Ariel Barzilai, director of the economic department of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, who spoke at the panel, added: “The roots of the decline lie in the fact that the politicians simply fought on a professional level. The Bank of Israel has to make decisions detached from politics in order to advance the economy, and when they are exposed to political pressure, we find ourselves in this situation.”

Eyal Naveh, co-founder of Brothers in Arms, added: “There are no real plans. It’s time for politicians to work for the people, and they’re not doing that.”

Adv. Hadas Tamam Ben-Avraham, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Head of the Cyber Risk Management Research Institute at Ono Academic College said that they had observed a substantial increase in cyberattacks, including against essential infrastructures. “There will be a significant tsunami here that needs to be addressed.”