Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., December 02, 2008 Kislev 5, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:41 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Business in Brief By Yoram Gabison , Amitai Ziv , Nir Zalik , Haim Bior The Alliance tire company is carrying out a second wave of layoffs in just a few weeks. This time the firm is firing 50 tenured workers from its Hadera plant. All the workers belong to the Histadrut labor federation, which has acquiesced to the move on condition that the laid off workers get sweetened severance pay. At the start of November, Alliance laid off 170 temps and 40 workers. The latest round brings the number of dismissals to 260, or about 25% of Alliance's local workforce. In yet more downbeat news from industry, Negev Tech, which makes equipment to test silicon wafers, has fired 136 workers and remained with a skeleton staff of 11 as it fights for bankruptcy protection. The remaining 11 are all management and administration. Though the pink slips were delivered only yesterday, they were backdated to November 2. Negev Tech owes NIS 135 million, including October salaries to 147 workers. Advertisement And Motorola Israel is letting 50 Israelis go as the global parent company pares back. A month back, the international Motorola group announced that it was firing 4.5% of its workforce, or about 3,000 people, as it tightened its focus on strong target markets such as North America and abandoned weak ones, and its cellular devices department also. At the time, Motorola Israel said its workers were safe, though 20 people were let go from MIRS, a cellular Motorola Israel subsidiary. Times change, though, and Motorola Israel commented that it's adjusting to its reality. Idan Ofer is showing the faith with an NIS 17 million purchase of shares in the holding company he controls together with his father Sammy Ofer - The Israel Corporation. This week Ofer the son bought 18,000 shares in the company. Commenting on the situation, Idan Ofer noted that Israel Corporation subsidiary Zim, a shipping and hauling firm being savaged by the steep downturn in its sector, has degrees of freedom because most of its fleet is leased. Some of the leases end in the next 12 months, and Zim is in a good position to negotiate lower lease prices, Ofer suggested. After all that depressing news about layoffs, here's an interesting item: despite the economic turmoil, revenues from tourism to Israel should reach a record NIS 15 billion this year, predicts the Tourism Ministry. Its figures show that tourist entries to Israel also spiked to record levels, even higher than the 2.7 million posted in 2000, when the Pope visited the Holy Land, which spurred an influx of pilgrims. The U.S. kept its title as No. 1 source of tourists to Israel, with 625,000 visitors this year or 20% of the total. The runner up was Russia, with 370,000 visitors - but 44% of them came only for the day. (Irit Rosenblum) Bookmark to del.icio.us   Boycotting Wagner The composer's works will remain a sensitive topic in Israel for many years. Bound for Gaza The Libyan ship is the most notable attempt yet to break the Gaza blockade.

Read & React Amos Harel: After Mumbai, the war against terror has changed Responses: 52 EU document on Israel, Mideast: Re-open Orient House Responses: 235 Anshel Pfeffer: Israel, stop offending India over Mumbai Responses: 62 Pope praises Nazi-era pontiff accused of Shoah inaction Responses: 57 Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner ban over Nazi link Responses: 47 More Headlines 00:32 Six bodies of Mumbai Chabad victims arrive in Israel 00:15 Olmert: I'm convinced Hillary Clinton will advance Israel-U.S. relations 01:07 Parents of Mumbai terror victim: We may take Rivka's place as Chabad envoys 21:43 Olmert offers condolences to Indian PM over Mumbai deaths 23:09 Hamas tells Haaretz journalist Amira Hass to leave Gaza 21:45 Bush: My biggest regret is false intelligence on Iraq WMDs 01:02 Israel turns back Libyan ship bound for Gaza with aid 00:56 Fetus kept in formaldehyde for 11 years found in Jerusalem 14:06 Israeli Opera to uphold Wagner boycott over link to Nazis 14:36 Indian investigators: Mumbai attackers trained in Pakistan 21:45 Iran dismisses Israeli military threats as 'psychological warfare' 12:14 German firms seek to bypass Berlin sanctions on Iran 14:29 Body of Israeli Omri Kidron found 5 months after he disappeared in China 11:06 Israeli security accidentally intrudes on live Livni interview 02:32 Five Palestinians hurt in clashes with settlers in Hebron 09:46 Eight IDF soldiers among 25 nabbed in drug trafficking bust Previous Editions Select Day 01 dec 30 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov

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