While anti-Israel elements threaten to boycott the Jewish state, and there’s continued pressures from the Obama Administration, the economy of the State of Israel continues to boom.
Israel has approximately the same number of companies listed on NASDAQ as the next three countries combined, and, as one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, is rightfully known as the “start-up nation.”
Israel’s economic growth has continued and it has become one of the most thriving nations in the Middle East. Israel has approximately the same number of companies listed on NASDAQ as the next three countries combined, and the Jewish State’s entrepreneurial spirit has spawned so many great success stories.
Here are some quotes on the entrepreneurial spirit of Israel:
- “Israel is so aggressive because the history of Judaism is a history in which us Jews get killed for being Jewish again and again. And the few times we were spared, we celebrate it as a holidays.” Martin Varsavsky, CEO of Fon. Tech, entrepreneur, angel investor and Columbia University Professor
- “Israelis have strong personalities, confidence and a work ethic which is constant and non-stop. That matters when building a business.” — Ron Hershco, real estate property developer, philanthropist
- “This is the reason why there are currently about 6,000 startups in Israel. And the nature of the Israeli entrepreneur—who is not afraid and is resourceful, motivated and fast moving—all give us an advantage.” — Yossi Vardi, Israeli high-tech entrepreneur
- “When my company, Wix, was still in its early stages, it never ceased to amaze me just how helpful colleagues from other Israeli ventures were. Whether offering key introductions, or timely advice, not only were these experienced tech masters willing to make the time, it was always done with a sense of commitment, not just obligation.” — Avishai Abrahami, technology entrepreneur and developer
- “The hi-tech industry is not a monolithic thing. If you look on a timeline of a company, you see that in the beginning, you have to come up with an idea and to be willing to take risk. You have to grow fast, you have to think fast, and you have to do this usually in small teams.” — Yossi Vardi, Israeli high-tech entrepreneur
- “In this fast-moving world, you don’t get anywhere by standing still and you achieved little of you simply ‘go with the flow.’” — Michael Ordman, blogger for Jewish Business News
- “Israel is a logical place for Zell and newer programs like it. The country boasts more high-tech startups and venture capital activity per person than any other nation in the world, and has produced more startups than Japan, China, India, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Korea.” — Abigail Klein Leichman, writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c.
- “Israeli high-growth start-ups have been creating jobs and generating sustainable wealth for the country, and innovations for the world.” — Jonathan Ortmans, President of Global Entrepreneurship Week
- “The ultimate definition of an entrepreneur is someone who is always thinking he can do things a different, better way. If he walks down the street and sees a painter on a ladder, he thinks, ‘Gee, if he’d moved the ladder to the middle of the wall, then he could paint both sides without having to go up and down the ladder as many times,’” he said. “I can’t tell you why I think that way, but that’s literally the way I think all the time. It’s always been that way. I look at things and see them differently than other people do.” — Sam Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments
- Now the ‘Silicon Wadi’ (wadi means valley in Arabic) is creeping up on Silicon Valley in more ways than one.” — Eilon Tirosh, investor and entrepreneur
- “There is no shortcut to success—and Israelis earn their stripes through constant risk-taking and constant hard work.” — Investor Henry Swieca
- “Conscription of young Israelis into the entrepreneurial ethos of the IDF was an important factor. Facing continual geopolitical conflicts created the confidence to solve problems that others deemed impossible. The fact that many of Israel’s founders were scientists and intellectuals certainly laid the groundwork for placing a high cultural value on technology.” Jason Hiner, the editor-in-chief of TechRepublic.com
- “Many of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs are using Israel’s status as a fortressed state, surrounded by furious enemies, as a kind of 24-hour-a-day showroom, a living example of how to enjoy relative safety amid constant war.” — Naomi Klein, Canadian author and political activisit
The Jewish people live.
(Compiled by Ronn Torossian, a lover of great quotations.)
Ronn Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and respected public relations experts. Torossian is the founder, president and CEO of 5W Public Relations, one of the 25 largest independent American PR firms.
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