Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society 2019
Eli Hurvitz Highlights
9:00 – 9:15 Registration
9:15 – 9:25 Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute
9:30 – 13:00 Morning Session | The Next Government’s Economic Strategy: Where are we Headed?
Chair: Prof. Eugene Kandel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; CEO Start-Up Nation Central
Prof. Avi Simhon, Head of the National Economic Council, and the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Economic Affairs
Shaul Meridor, Director of Budgets, Ministry of Finance
Roni Hizkiyahu, Accountant General, Ministry of Finance
Anat Guetta, Chair, Israel Securities Authority
Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chair, Israel Innovation Authority
Heliodoro Temprano Arroyo, Adviser, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission
11:00 – 11:30 Recess
Opening the Discussion:
Prof Karnit Flug, Vice-President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute
Shraga Brosh,Chair of the Directorate of Business Organizations
Michael Eisenberg,Joint Managing Partner, Aleph Venture Capital
Plenary Discussion
12:40 – 13:00 MK Benny Gantz, Chair of the Bluen and White Party and former IDF Chief of Staff
13:00 – 13:20 Prof. Amir Yaron, Governor, Bank of Israel
13:30 – 14:20 Lunch
14:20 – 15:30 Afternoon Session | Easing the Regulatory Burden – Is it Possible?
Chair: Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute
A Regulatory Roadmap for Investors: Implementation on the Ground | Oz Katz, Head of the Industries Administration, Ministry of the Economy and Industry
Trust-based Regulation: Declarations as a Tool for Easing the Bureaucratic and Regulatory Burden | Dr. Eyal Pe’er, Israel Democracy Institute; Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Discussion:
Adv. Meir Levin, Deputy Attorney General for Fiscal and Economic Matters
Oren Cohen, Deputy Director General, Division of Governance and Social Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office
Dr. Ron Tomer, Owner, Unipharm
Dore Bloch, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance
15:30 – 15:50 Recess
15:50 – 18:30 Afternoon Session | “Israel 2050: Moving towards a Thriving Economy in a Sustainable Environment”— the Strategic Process
Chair: Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute
The Israel 2050 Plan
Shuli Nezer, Senior Deputy Director General for Industry, Ministry of Environmental Protection
Galit Cohen, Senior Deputy Director General for Policy Planning and Strategy, Ministry of Environmental Protection
The Plan’s Effects on Economic Growth
Prof. Nathan Sussman, Israel Democracy Institute; Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Ruslana Rachel Palatnik, Chair, theMax Stern Yezreel Valley College; Haifa University
The Plan’s Impact on Israeli Society
Daphna Aviram-Nitzan
Directors General in Discussion
Led by: Prof. Eugene Kandel
Environmental Protection: Guy Samet, Director General, Ministry of Environmental Protection
Energy Economics: Ehud Adiri, Director General, Ministry of Energy
Cities and Buildings: Dalit Zilber, Director General, Israel Planning Administration
Industry and Waste: Shay Rinsky, Director General, Ministry of the Economy and Industry
Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Ministry of Energy
Opening the Discussion:
Sagit Datan, Head of the Growth Division, Israel Innovation Authority
Prof. Michel Strawczynski, Director of the Research Department, Bank of Israel
Dr. Eli Abramov, Chair, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Protection Division, Manufacturers’ Association of Israel
Victor Weis, Executive Director, Heschel Center for Sustainability
Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, Executive Director, ACTO— Academic Center for Impact Investing & Entrepreneurship, College of Management Academic Studies
Harel Shlissel, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance
Chen Altshuler, Head of Innovation Strategy, Altshuler Shaham
Chaim Hurvitz, Economic Social Forum
Plenary Discussion
18:30 Summing Up, Prof. Eugene Kandel
9:00 – 9:30 Registration
9:30 – 11:30 Morning session | Human Capital in Israel: Narrowing the Labor Productivity Gap as a Key to Reducing Income Disparities
Chair: Prof. Karnit Flug, Vice-President for Research, Israel Democracy Institute
Upgrading Workers' Competencies as a Tool for Reducing Social Gaps | Prof. Karnit Flug
The New Campus: The Council for Higher Education and the Planning and Budgeting Committee Prepare for a Changing Reality |
Prof. Yaffa Zilbershatz, Chairwoman of the Planning and Budgeting Committee, the Council for Higher Education
Does the Higher Education System Offer a Solution to what the Market Requires? | Dr. Eitan Regev, Israel Democracy Institute
An Alternative to Higher Education? | Roei Deutsch, CEO, Jolt
Government officials discussion
led by Prof. Karnit Flug
Mordechai Elisha, Director of the Labor Division, Ministry of Labor
Michal Fink, Deputy Director General for Strategy, Ministry of Economy & Industry
Itzik Daniel, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance
Opening Discussion:
MK Gila Gamliel, Minister for Social Equality
Yossi Alkovi, President of the Union of Craftsman and Industrial Workers
Dita Bronicki, Founder, Ormat Technologies
Shlomi Yehiav, Chairman, The National Union of Israeli Students
The Labor Market and Productivity: A Look into the Future | Shira Greenberg, Chief Economist, Ministry of Finance
Plenary Discussion
11:15 – 11:45 Recess
11:45 – 12:15 How Do We Adapt Our Labor Agreements to the 21st Century?
Chair: Prof. Yotam Margalit, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Tel Aviv University
Survey of Equilibrium and Flexibility in the Israeli Labor Market | Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, Director of the Center for Governance and the Economy, Israel Democracy Institute
Labor Agreements in the Public Service | Kobi Bar-Nathan, Director of Salary and Employment Agreements, Ministry of Finance
Labor Agreements in the Business Sector | Itzik Saig, Chair, Employers’ Mutual Assistance Fund, Directorate of Business Organizations
Gearing Up in Labor Unions | Shay Biran, CEO of Economics Division, The Histadrut (General Organization of Workers)
12:15 – 14:00 Afternoon Session | The Labor Market Gears up for an Aging Population
Chair: Yohanan Plesner, President, Israel Democracy Institute
Promoting Policies to Encourage Employment among Older Adults (age 50+) | Prof. Yotam Margalit, Senior Fellow, Israel Democracy Institute; Tel Aviv University
Opening Discussion:
Avi Cohen, Director General, ministry of Social Equality
Prof. Michel Strawczynski, Director of the Research Department, Bank of Israel
Yulia Eitan,Head of the Employment Administration for Special Populations, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services
Yossi Heymann, Executive Director, JDC-Eshel
MK Meirav Cohen, Blue and White Party
Lirit Serphos, Senior Department Head, Division of Governance and Social Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office
Yael Agmon, Budget Division, Ministry of Finance
Plenary Discussion
Summary of the session: Prof. Karnit Flug
14:00 – 15:00 Lunch
15:00 – 16:30 Afternoon Session | The National Insurance Institute Prepares for an Aging Population
Chair: Prof. Eugene Kandel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; CEO, Start-Up Nation Central
Bolstering the National Insurance Institute’s Financial Resilience | Prof. Eytan Sheshinski, Israel Democracy Institute
Opening the Discussion:
Meir Shpigler, Director General, National Insurance Institute
Alon Messer, Deputy Budget Director for Welfare Matters, Ministry of Finance
Dr. Adi Brender, Head of the Macroecomic and Policy Division, Research Department, Bank of Israel
MK Oded Forer, Yisrael Beitenu Party
Prof. Daniel Gottlieb, Deputy Director General for Research and Planning, National Insurance Institute
Plenary Discussion
16:30 Conference Summary, Prof. Eugene Kandel