ICSEP students protest banks

Courses
26 May ’04

A group of graduates of Daniel Doron’s seminars on the free market and its critics have formed a non-profit activist organization, “Citizens for True Social Justice”.

A few months ago they mounted counter-protests to the Histadrut’s protest marches, and with a series of well-formulated ads in the newspapers they managed to take the wind out of the Histadrut’s sails, poking fun at its pretence of representing the workers and documenting how it has been in effect seriously damaging their cause.

A group of graduates of Daniel Doron’s seminars on the free market and its critics have formed a non-profit activist organization, “Citizens for True Social Justice”. A few months ago they mounted counter-protests to the Histadrut’s protest marches, and with a series of well-formulated ads in the newspapers they managed to take the wind out of the Histadrut’s sails, poking fun at its pretence of representing the workers and documenting how it has been in effect seriously damaging their cause.

The students are from three Israeli universities and from various faculties. All are third-year and up, Dean’s List, and quite a number are doctoral candidates. After attending the course they decided that discussing and analysing problems was not enough and that they wanted to take an active part in reforming the ailing Israeli economy. Their protest and ad campaign were credited by some for the Histadrut’s decision to call off a general strike, which was threatening to paralyze the Israeli economy and inflict enormous damage on the country.

The target, this time, of the student’s protests was the bank’s monopoly, which, as our readers know, is one of the chief causes of Israel’s economic woes. The banks’ squandering of ten years of savings, which they distributed amongst their cronies, has resulted in lack of growth, high unemployment, shamefully low salaries and in hundreds of thousands of families failing to make ends meet.

The tent that the students mounted in Rabin Square – Israel’s Hyde Park – has drawn enormous attention. It was widely reported in the media, with presentations on television, radio and the press, and fostered heavily-trafficked debates on Israel’s foremost web sites, including Y-Net.

With very few resources, our students have managed to generate strong public support for the finance minster’s bold attempt to advance a basic and vital reform of Israel’s financial markets that the banks have managed to fend off for more than two decades.

Those who want to support the students’ effort are urged to contribute to their not-for-profit (but not tax deductable) organization, Citizens for True Social Justice, c/o ICSEP.

This is an historic moment for Israel – the battle for financial reform may determine the country’s future no less than the battle for security, since only a prosperous its young at home and pay its heavy security bill. You are urged to lend a hand.

All recent program activities

Speeches
US VIP group
24 Nov ’09

Israel’s Prosperity, Peace Depend on Economic Reform

Until the Intifadah and the Oslo agreements, a non-political process of economic collaboration was leading to a gradual reconciliation between Arabs and Jews, explains ICSEP President Daniel Doron in a talk sponsored by the America-Israel Friendship League. That process can now resume, Doron argues, helped by economic reform within Israel.

Speeches
Gilder/Forbes Telecosm 2009 Conference
10 Nov ’09
Tarrytown House Estate, Tarrytown, New York

Israel’s Prosperity, Peace Depend on Economic Reform

Speeches
NCPA Dinner
11 Apr ’08
Dallas, Texas

Opening Remarks to Introduce Binyamin Netanyahu

ICSEP President Daniel Doron introduces future Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu at an NCPA dinner in Dallas, Texas.

Speeches
27 Jun ’07
Merage Forum

Remarks for the Merage Forum on Education

“Past reforms have focused on asking for more money for education,” ICSEP President Daniel Doron noted in his speech to the Merage Forum on education.

“This despite the fact that Israel is already spending the highest proportion of GDP on education in the West.

“Yet, despite a steady growth in expenditures, standards and achievements have shown little improvement; in fact they have further deteriorated.”

Speeches
25 Jun ’07
Strategic Forums Sponsored by Paul Merage

Opening Remarks at the Strategic Forums Sponsored by Paul Merage

“Before I continue with my remarks, let me sound an optimistic note,” said Daniel Doron, ICSEP President, in his opening remarks to the Strategic Forums Sponsored by Paul Merage.

“You will hear voices say that attempts to reform Israel are futile, that you cannot initiate significant changes here.

“We know better.”

The high-powered conference was held to explore ways of encouraging Israeli high-tech to meet the serious challenges facing it and to continue flourishing.

Memos
10 Aug ’05

Finance Ministry thanks ICSEP

After the financial market reform was ratified by the Knesset, the director general of the finance ministry wrote to ICSEP director Daniel Doron. “Thank you for the support and encouragement that you and your colleagues gave us throughout the process,” he wrote.

Memos
4 Aug ’05

Finance Minister thanks ICSEP for helping historic market reform

After the passage of historic capital market and tax reform bills, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wrote to ICSEP director Daniel Doron to thank ICSEP for “truly invaluable assistance in helping bring about this important reform.”

Guests
8 Jul ’05

Binyamin Netanyahu

“In 10 years, Israel could be one of the 10 richest countries in the world,” Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told guests at ICSEP’s first annual United States Awards Dinner.

Milton Friedman expressed similar beliefs to those assembled at New York’s St Regis Hotel: “Israel has the potential of being the Hong Kong of the Middle East,” he said in his video address.

During dinner, Israel’s minister of economic affairs in America, Ron Dermer, presented the awards.

Speeches
Republican Jewish Coalition
25 May ’05
Washington, DC

Israel’s survival, peace, depend on economic prosperity

“Most of you have visited Israel,” ICSEP president Daniel Doron began his address to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington on May 25th.

“You saw a vibrant, seemingly well-to-do country.

“You ate at posh restaurants full of prosperous Israelis, visited their impressive villas and saw their expensive cars.

“And yet, Israel, chock-full of human talent and energy, a world-class high-tech leader, seems in perpetual economic trouble.

“If the country is to survive it must reform its economic system, and do it soon.”

Read the entire speech.

Memos
16 Oct ’04

Economics editor requests pardon from ICSEP

On the eve of Yom Kippur this year, Sever Plotzker, chief economic and social editor of the very influential Yediot Achronot, requested a pardon from seven parties whom he thought “were not given the credit they deserved” and “to whom the Israeli economy owes quite a bit.” Among them was ICSEP.