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'Impudent, hot-headed, bold and irritable' By Shuki Sadeh and Eti Aflalo Tags: Israel news, Tel Aviv  'Your economy is very strong' Once every three months, the British Embassy in Israel hosts a dinner party at the ambassador's residence and invites London's top Israeli investors - including Igal Ahouvi and others. "It's a fun time," says Richard Salt, Britain's commercial attache in Israel, "a fun time to put your cards on the table and talk from the heart, something the Israelis are never shy about doing, saying what's on your mind. These evenings are the liveliest dinner parties I have ever been to." Advertisement After 15 months in Israel, Salt has come to know the local business community well. "The Israelis are very sharp," he says. "Unlike others, they leap over the top. They are less worried about the journey; they are more interested in the destination. There is nothing more illustrative of that than seeing the amount of Israelis involved in Eastern Europe. However, when you are leaping over people, you are going to annoy a few people as well and it isn't always the best way to do business." When Salt talks about Israeli entrepreneurs, he recalls the story about the Israeli who, after a long meeting with a British businessman, told his assistants that the meeting had gone swimmingly - he had been told the "presentation was interesting." "If a British chap says, 'I think your proposal is terribly interesting,' this is the politest way to tell you that I am not paticurly interested," says Salt. "Little things like that, cultural differences, sometimes get in the way. You will be surprised to hear that Israeli businesspeople have come to my office and said, 'Look, I tried to do business in the U.K. and I haven't managed to.'" Nonetheless, Salt believes that in general, trade relations between Britain and Israel are doing very well, as is the Israeli economy. "The Israeli economy is terribly strong, terribly robust, and you just need to look at the facts," he says. "You had a war only two years ago, you have political and economic scandals, the sort of things that would bring down stock exchanges in other countries. The dollar is particularly weak, and you are an economy that is dependent on the American currency. One would have thought that there would be repercussions, but where are they? "Of course we all are concerned. When America sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold, but where is the Israeli cold?" Salt, who lives at the official embassy residence in Herzliya Pituah, believes that the standard of living in Israel is high, and could rival that of any western nation. "There are fantastic shops and restaurants here. I always say that I was a slim man before I came here," he says, adding he regrets that "I won't be able to go to all the restaurants before I leave. You need maybe a couple of more Indian restaurants." Salt's resume includes years of service in Damascus and Beirut, and he is very familiar with the Middle East. In this context, he believes Israel's situation is particularly good. "Technically, you are still at war with Syria. There are peace deals with Egypt and Jordan, but ones that haven't really encouraged business. In the north there was a war two years ago and of course there is the situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," he says. "If I were to ask myself whether to invest here, the answer would be no, but one does. When I go to Britain I shout from the hills, you have to come to Israel. I should add, we don't get that many trade missions to Israel. That is because there is an ignorant fear about the security situation, back in the U.K. After all, you can't get a room here at a seaside hotel. This is definitely a bizarre situation." Salt, who follows Israeli news assiduously, is aware that the corruption issue is taking up a considerable part of the local agenda. "Britain has a law that British companies involved in corruption abroad must also stand trial at home," he says. "I like to think that as a result of this, British companies know how they should operate in a foreign country, and do not invest in countries with a high level of corruption. In my opinion, the presence of a great many British companies in Israel is a positive indicator. I am not saying that there isn't corruption here, but one can trust on the Israeli juridical system to deal with it." For the record, Israel's justice system comes from the British Mandate. For that reason, the idea of bringing the British Mandate back to Israel occasionally enters the public discourse. In fact, a few years ago, a marginal movement even arose to campaign for this cause. Salt is hearing about this for the first time. "It's very flattering," he says, "but don't forget that we are also known for our bureaucracy, a legacy that we left in a lot of countries. I can also point out many other things in the U.K. that are not good." 'More corruption than I had expected' Han Byoung-Jin, who is in charge of economic cooperation at the Embassy of South Korea, was leaving Herzliya when he once again encountered what he calls ?bad drivers.? As the light changed, he was about to step on the gas and keep driving straight, but the driver in front of him had other plans. ?The car ahead of me stopped, and without signaling, tried to cut into the left turn lane. It blocked four cars behind it. Things like that happen here twice a day. Israeli drivers have a tendency to cut between lanes without signaling. This is very strange. I?m not accustomed to this kind of behavior,? he says. Mr. Han has been in Israel for two years. He came here after five years of service in Germany - which may explain his difficulty in adjusting to strange Israeli phenomena like the drivers. However, he is very impressed by the Israeli economy, and even believes that Israeli and Korean businesspeople have many similarities. He is especially impressed by the local high-tech industry. ?Israel?s economy is very strong. Sixty percent of it is based on high-tech. Israelis are very dynamic and they know how to respond quickly. This is a very significant force in the country. Israel can survive on this,? he says. With respect to infrastructures, Han says that South Korea is more organized than Israel, and resembles Europe. "Any Israeli who visits our country will admire the tall buildings and the roads," he says. Han, who arrived in Israel during the Second Lebanon War, believes the constant tension does not affect the economy. However, corruption and the education system are another matter. "The degree of corruption in Israel is more than what I had expected," he says. "One of the characteristics of Israeli society is connections, networking. This has a historical background - the Jews knew how to maintain contact when they were scattered in different countries in the Diaspora. After the state obtained independence, these kinds of connections still worked. ?Sometimes networking works in a positive way, but sometimes it blocks democracy, when it makes a closed club for certain people. Nevertheless, I think that Israel is a sound democracy. I am not sure that other developed countries would have accepted such criticism of a prime minister.? Han also has an interesting opinion about the differences between the education systems in Korea and Israel. ?The quality of Israel?s education system is normal, not so high, to be honest,? he says. ?One has to choose between an egalitarian system and a hierarchical system. Unlike you, we have chosen equality, which raises the general level of education.? Nevertheless, Han believes that the Israeli system enables high achievers to forge ahead. ?When you abandon the egalitarian education system, you enable the stronger students to rise. They can flourish and express their creativity. Many people say that the Israeli education system is a failure. But it produces geniuses, people who are very successful.? Perhaps thanks to education, Israel has become a high-tech power, but Han believes Israel is inadequate in other fields, such as service. ?I find that service in Israel is almost zero,? he complains. ?In Korea, when a customer complains about a product, a technician comes immediately and you don?t need to call twice. In Israel you have to call several times, and once they answer they transfer you from one clerk to another. Sometimes it takes two or three weeks until they fix the problem.? Han says a large Korean technology company has decided to open an office in Tel Aviv, in part because it has identified a large potential market - for providing efficient service. He says Israel?s quality of service damages its potential for exporting to Korea, including in the security field. ?Many Israeli companies sell military equipment to Korea, but after they supply the product they do not provide service,? he complains. ?It would be worthwhile for Israeli companies to focus more on service - this is profitable both in the short term and in the long term,? he says. ?Everyone drives in zigzags? Israel?s large community of Hungarian Jews makes it much easier for Simon Gabor, the Second Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Hungarian Embassy in Israel. He eats at the Hungarian restaurants scattered throughout Tel Aviv, like the well-known Yehudit Conditoria in Gan Ha?ir, which is walking distance from the Pinkas Street embassy building. Gabor, who has been in Israel for three years, is very content here. ?The standard of living here is very high, like in Europe,? he says. ?You can see this in the streets, in the people. There are excellent restaurants here, and I like this very much. I also like to buy fruit and vegetables at the Carmel Market. There is a large, fresh variety and the Israelis don?t even understand how good this is.? The only place where Gabor has trouble - not surprisingly - is on the road. ?In nearly all respects Israel is a Western country, but on the roads Israelis behave differently. Here everyone drives in zigzags. This is apparently a different mentality, from the Mediterranean,? he says. Gabor, who has Jewish roots, studied in Israel in the early 1990s and speaks fluent Hebrew. He keeps very close tabs on the Israeli economy and knows by heart the basic data - indexes, interest rates and the unemployment percentages. ?The achievements of the Israeli economy in the past five years have been extraordinary,? he says. ?The figures are astounding - 5.9 percent unemployment and 5 percent average annual growth. This is very good, although it must be remembered that Israel?s population has increased, so in real terms the growth rate is lower.? When asked about differences between Israel and Hungary, Gabor says, ?In terms of purchasing power, Israel?s gross domestic product is higher, but the gap is not very large. Hungary?s infrastructures are excellent, and Israel?s are quite impressive, especially the roads, but you are still behind when it comes to trains, compared to Hungary and the rest of Europe.? As an employee of the Hungarian Ministry of the Economy, Gabor has been the liaison for Israeli investors in Hungary for the past 13 years. During that period, a tsunami of Israeli businessmen inundated Eastern Europe, and Hungary in particular. Gabor maintains a mailing list of Israeli investors to whom he sends investment proposals. Currently, for example, he has on his desk a proposal to buy a hotel, which he is sending to 100 Israeli real estate companies. Gabor says he sometimes meets with senior businesspeople like Yuli Ofer or Motti Zisser. ?Investors often need contact with the central government, so they come to me. Our role is to serve as a go-between,? he says. Despite his many years of familiarity with Israeli businesspeople, he cannot say why Israelis in Hungary are attracted mainly to real estate. ?Israelis have something that they know how to do better than others. This is a kind of relative advantage that is hard for me to explain,? he says. There is one thing about which he has no doubt: ?In a big way, Israelis, especially from the top, go for a broad business concept that is much harder to implement. The Israeli businessperson takes bigger risks than his colleagues from Western Europe. Of course, he also expects higher profits.? Gabor knows quite a number of Israelis of Hungarian descent who are investing in the land of their roots. He says they try to keep their feelings for the country separate from business. ?The Israeli businessperson whose father immigrated from Hungary has many feelings for the country. But from what I?ve seen, this doesn?t affect his business dealings,? he says. ?I have met many of them, and the Hungarian roots help create connections, but they don?t influence the final decision on an investment.? ?You simply need a little gallantry? Gallantry, that?s what?s missing here for Monika Schmutz-Kirgoz, the deputy ambassador of Switzerland. ?How to speak to people, how to speak to a woman,? she explains. ?There is a certain lack of style here. I have to say that after serving in Turkey and Italy, I miss it. Never in my life had I received so many doors in my face, because the idiot just cannot just hold it for me as they would do in Switzerland or other countries. It is like they do it on purpose: They see you, and they just slam it. Tung .... ?The other day I wanted to go into a parking lot, there was only one way out and in. Suddenly some macho comes along with a big car, showing me all kinds of signs, and I said to him, ?What the hell do you want, I am here, let me in.? I had to go away. Why? Because he is a man, he is strong, and his car is bigger. These are the things that surprise me, that I am not used to. ?Here it is always like a fight - in the traffic, in the queues. Is it because of the conflict? Do something about it, talk about it. This is such a wonderful country to live in, you simply need a little gallantry.? Schmutz-Kirgoz, 39, has been a diplomat for 13 years. She has been living in Israel for a year, and unlike other diplomats, most of whom prefer to cloister themselves in Herzliya Pituah, she chose to live in Jaffa with her Turkish husband, an economics professor, and their two children. Even though she has not been in Israel for long, she has managed to make many friends. ?Israelis like you for what you are,? she says. ?They do not look at whether you are a diplomat, rich or poor. That is what I like about Israel. In the past, in other situations in my life, I found that the environment I was moving in was rather superficial. No one really wanted to know what I did, what I am. Here, everyone is interested. When I tell Israelis that before I became a diplomat I lived in Burkina Faso, in Africa, they say, ?Wow, what did you do there? Why did you go there??? As deputy ambassador, Schmutz-Kirgoz is responsible for economic affairs, so she watches Israel?s economic situation very closely. ?I am very impressed by the economic situation,? she says. ?In Switzerland we are happy with 2-percent growth per year, and here you have 5-percent growth. This is a very dynamic economy, stable, clever and export-oriented. There are many similarities between Switzerland and Israel. Similar populations, with overqualified, motivated workforces in the same sectors − life sciences, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, growing sectors that involve research and development.? Even so, Schmutz-Kirgoz says that Israel is behind Switzerland in terms of transportation. ?It is out of the question that the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is constantly jammed,? she says. ?In Switzerland you can get anywhere in the city, and between cities, via excellent public transportation that always arrives on time.? On the other hand, she heaps compliments on Israel?s electricity infrastructure, noting, ?This is the first country I have lived in where I have not experienced blackouts.? Schmutz-Kirgoz has a good relationship with Israeli businessmen and knows the names of the Israelis who have invested in Switzerland, such as Nochi Dankner and Igal Ahouvi. ?Israeli businessmen are tough, they are tough negotiators,? she says. ?They know what they want and make you understand you have no chance of profiting from them, or maybe you?ll have marginal profits of 1%. They have a very tough, frank approach, and in my opinion, this is also the right approach.? One sector that could do with improvement in Israel, says Schmutz-Kirgoz, is the service sector. ?Your luxury hotels don?t deliver. If I need to bring a high-level delegation here from Switzerland, I know of only two hotels whose staff will be able to meet the demands of the delegation,? complains Schmutz-Kirgoz. ?The luxury hotels are not enough. If I have to bring a very high-ranking Swiss business delegation, I have one or two hotels where I can put them up that will be able to answer to their demands.? A much more fundamental sector that disappoints Schmutz-Kirgoz is education. ?I have many Jewish friends from all over the world,? she says, ?and I am left speechless when I see the efforts they put into educating their children. They are the most brilliant and educated people I know. Then you come here and you see that the state doesn?t put enough money and effort in the education of its own citizens. You see that in Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, the school system is one of the worst in the OECD.? Schmutz-Kirgoz finds consolation in the Israeli awareness of the issue. ?From what I read in the newspapers, you know there is a problem. You know you have to do something, that there is room for improvement.? Can?t rely on cabinet ministers Russell Ellwanger, the CEO of Tower Semiconductor Ltd., loves Israelis? multiculturalism and character. ?I love this country; otherwise I wouldn?t have come back here,? he says. ?The Israelis are warm, but they have a very specific kind of warmth. ?When you get on the road in the morning on the way to work, the driver turning onto the road can cut in front of you without thinking twice and send you flying into a ditch by the side of the road. But you can also rely on him to stop, give you a hand and take you to the hospital. You can always rely on them to help you, they have honor.? Ellwanger is a globetrotting American, and has lived in Germany, Holland and Japan. He met his wife in Germany and the couple have four children, three of whom live in the United States. Their youngest daughter attends the American School in Israel. Even though he has been here since 2005 and lived in Israel for two years at the beginning of the decade, he does not speak Hebrew, apart from the word ?smokh.? Ellwanger describes the Israelis as a curious and inquiring nation that questions everything - thanks to a challenging education that teaches them to ask. He believes our scientists are excellent and our engineers are good. But when it comes to the business environment in Israel, Ellwanger is critical of the public sector. ?The Investment Center here is ridiculous, and you can?t rely on the word of cabinet ministers in Israel, because they don?t stand by their commitments. This does tremendous damage. I, for example, have no respect for ministers in Israel,? he says. Ellwanger relies on Israeli businesspeople, even if the business culture here surprised him at first. ?Israel has a very frank culture and very direct conversations,? he says. ?The first time a junior engineer dared to disagree with me I was in shock. In the United States the policy is to kiss up. Here everyone wants to prove they don?t kiss up. This is very refreshing, and I believe it is also right.? In Ellwanger?s opinion, Israelis have a lot to learn about sales: ?For Israelis, it is very important to prove the other guy is wrong. But in order to sell, the customer is always right. You need to be more sensitive,? he says. He has only good things to say about Tower?s owners - the Israel Corporation and Idan Ofer. ?Idan Ofer has a special personality,? he says. ?He has a lot of respect for people and he will smile at even the person who makes his coffee in the morning. Altogether, the Israel Corporation is an excellent company, and its contributions to society are also wonderful. I?m not sure they appreciate it enough in Israel.? Ellwanger says he feels completely secure here. ?In the United States there are places where I wouldn?t go. In Israel, however, I feel secure everywhere,? he says. Even during the Second Lebanon War he was not afraid, even though Tower?s plants are located in the north. ?Everyone had to take care of their children because there was no daycare, so on the second day of the war we opened a daycare center for 150 children, and the atmosphere was really good,? he recalls. ?If there hadn?t been a war, you could even have said that we had a good time.? ?In Israel, a woman needs elbows? Rica Hannebauer came to Israel from Germany two years and eight months ago. She is an engineer at SAP and an amateur soccer player on a Tel Aviv women?s team. Hannebauer lives in Neve Sharet ?near Ramat Hahayal,? and even has an Israeli boyfriend. ?I met the love of my life in an international group of SAP engineers,? she says. Hannebauer, 27, feels that Israel is a small but very interesting country - both its nature and its people. ?You have many types of nature. There is the desert, but in the north you can go skiing. You have a beach and can go diving in Eilat. I love taking trips, and it?s always interesting here. Israel also has many cultures, and in every experience with Israelis, I always discover new things.? Hannebauer, it turns out, did not love Israel at first sight. It took her a while to adjust. ?Israelis have a good heart and are warm, but if they don?t know you, they are not interested in you. Only after you get past the first stage and get to know one another, they become very devoted friends. Israeli men are also very nice, but not right from the start. They are brash, and wait for the woman to make the first move. In Israel, a woman needs elbows.? Hannebauer?s team works with people in other countries. She says it was hard for her to get used to her Israeli colleagues. ?When you enter a meeting you have to learn how to express yourself, to overcome your hesitation and disturb them and even interrupt while they are talking in order to get a word in edgewise, because they are all constantly talking,? she complains. But she does not forget to add, ?Israeli workers always have the best ideas. They have the education and the knowledge. They are good at initiating and innovating, but they have to learn how to behave. In an international team I would not put them in front.? Hannebauer is still learning Hebrew, and tries to speak it outside of work, where she speaks only English.?I can already make small talk in fluent Hebrew,? she says. She does not follow Israeli politics, ?but even in Germany I did not take an interest in politics, and never knew what was happening.? Still, she is worried about the level of recycling in Israel. ?You have to clean your streets and recycle, and increase the awareness of this much more,? she says. And how about the drivers? Hannebauer says Israelis seem to be at peace with their driving, and that it seems strange only to outsiders. Still, she feels Israelis need a lesson in manners. ?Don?t honk at lights, be more polite and be more orderly,? she says. Hannebauer does not think there is anything extraordinary about Israel?s attitude toward tourists. ?All over the world the locals try to take advantage of foreigners. There is nothing unusual about Israel,? she says. Although she feels safe wandering around in Israel, the Palestinian conflict bothers her. ?You can never tell whether one of your neighbors will get up one morning, go crazy and ignite the whole region. This is something that is in the air, and I always take it into account. ?There isn?t enough openness to foreigners? ?More than anything else, Israelis are simply very sociable and friendly people,? says Samuel Jojo Effah-Broni, the counselor for political and economic affairs at the Ghanaian embassy in Israel. ?Everyone says so. Even the cleaning workers from Ghana praise the easygoing nature of the homeowners who employ them.? After four years in Israel, Broni is full of admiration for the local economy. ?The economy in Israel is very strong and robust,? he says. ?The shekel is doing excellently, tourism is on the rise and the Bank of Israel is buying dollars to help exporters. At a time when the United States government is buying up two mortgage banks, the real estate market in Israel is still flourishing. The minimum wage is more than $1,000 [a month], as compared with only $200 in Ghana. Your situation is good. ?The Israeli education system is very good, but the level of high schools in Ghana is identical to that in Israel. Israel has better infrastructures, and you are continuing to invest in them - building light rails in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We are still having problems with the electricity network.? The Ghanaian embassy has good relations with Israeli businesspeople investing in that country, and Broni meets with quite a number of them - including representatives of Solel Boneh, the Dizengoff Group and Motorola. "The Israeli businessperson is very intelligent, focused and direct. He always wants to go in for serious business and he knows how to get his money back," he says. One Israeli businessman who has made an impression on him is Arcadi Gaydamak. "Yes, I've heard that his businesses are not so good, but he has always had his ups and downs," says Broni. He has developed especially warm relations with Nissan Hakshouri, Ghana's honorary consul to Israel. Broni, who is very familiar with the ins and outs of Israeli politics, knows that Hakshouri was one of the biggest supporters of Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz in the Kadima party primary. "Some businesspeople look for a connection to politicians. There are always symbiotic relations between the two sides," he says. Symbiotic relations lead, inevitably, to a discussion of the relations between wealth, government and corruption. "Every country has corruption," says Broni, "but with respect to your prime minister, this is a very delicate issue. His hands cannot be cleansed, because he was very close to money flows. Maybe he didn't write it down the way he should have, and therefore he has found himself in this situation. To me, no one can be declared guilty until it is proven." However, Broni does not believe that Israel is a corrupt country, maybe because everything is relative. "Israel has transparency," says Broni. "In Africa, things look entirely different. To get things moving, you have to grease the palms here and there. In Israel, from what I know, this doesn't happen. They can take you out for lunch in order to discuss all kinds of issues, but it's not equivalent to what I see in Africa." Broni believes that the standard of living in Israel is very high. "People's average salary here is very high, and this encourages them to waste more," he says. For this reason, he is amazed that the streets of the large cities aren't crowded with people. "People here are very cautious, maybe because of the security situation," he says. "In Europe you always see streets full with people, and here you see a lot of people in cars and at the malls, but not in the streets like in London." And speaking of cars, Broni believes that the Israeli driver is no less than insane. "If you want to drive in Israel, you have to be more defensive, because Israeli drivers cut lanes," he says. Though Broni is full of compliments for Israel, he believes that at least one area has considerable room for improvement - entering the country. He is especially upset about the expulsion of Ghanaian migrant workers. "Most of them have families and children. Sometimes the father is deported and this breaks up families," says Broni. "Israel is not open enough, and it is very difficult to get here. There are many Christian tourists from Ghana who would like to visit, but they can?t. If you would make entry easier, both for workers and for tourists, this would improve your situation even more. After all, in any case the unemployment rates here are low." continued Bookmark to del.icio.us   A man of peace Vatican defends wartime pope Pius XII against charge he turned blind eye to Holocaust. Feminine features An Iranian motor company unveils plans to design cars specifically tailored to women.

Read & React Freed terrorist Kuntar caught on film training with Hezbollah Responses: 58 Olmert: Mistake to link Shalit release with Gaza truce Responses: 17 Israeli Arab MK: Acre violence is Jewish pogrom against Arabs Responses: 50 Avirama Golan: Jews no longer target of Europe right-wing hate Responses: 9 German comedian: It's an honor to make Nazis look foolish Responses: 3 More Headlines 16:11 Fresh clashes between Arabs, Jews erupt in Acre 16:19 Livni tells Acre residents: Don't take law into your own hands 07:18 Olmert: Mistake to link Shalit release with Gaza truce 13:20 AM:PM faces new boycott for employing Jews on Yom Kippur 07:26 Russia hints it won't sell advanced missiles to Iran 13:10 European markets plunge again, despite central banks efforts 11:16 German comedian: It's an honor to make Nazis look foolish 05:01 Judge rejects suit against woman who fabricated Holocaust memoir 01:48 Israel on standby as global financial rescue takes shape 07:36 Youths pelt stones at Magen David paramedics in Acre, Haifa 02:02 Number of Israeli Arab IDF recruits dramatically increases in 2008 09:47 Lebanese union to sue Israel for 'claiming ownership' of falafel 05:15 Israel Radio hosts Ramadan Quiz finals 03:00 Ashkelon's only college bans non-kosher food from dorms Previous Editions Select Day 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 06 oct 05 oct 03 oct 02 oct 01 oct 30 sep 29 sep 28 sep 26 sep

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