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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 2012 Israel Bonds leadership delegation in his Jerusalem office, an exclusive meeting extensively reported in the Israeli media.
The briefing was an opportunity for the prime minister to express appreciation to Bonds and emphasize the organization’s significant efforts to keep Israel’s economy strong and resilient.
From left: President & CEO Izzy Tapoohi, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel Bonds International leader David Hatchwell of Madrid and Chairman of the Board Richard Hirsch
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It was also an occasion for him to welcome Bonds President & CEO Izzy Tapoohi, who served as a member of the prime minister’s ‘100 Days’ team following the 2009 elections and as an economic advisor during Netanyahu’s first term in 1996.
The April 16-27 delegation – led by Chairman of the Board Richard Hirsch and comprised of over 100 Bonds leaders from three continents – was fittingly themed ‘From Tragedy to Triumph,’ a journey encompassing the tragedy of the Holocaust and triumph of modern Israel.
Prime Minister Netanyahu greets Bonds board member Marty Goldstein (left)
Bonds delegates receive an exclusive briefing from the prime minister in Jerusalem |
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Following visits to sites of Jewish history and loss in Poland - including participation in the March of the Living - delegates arrived in Israel where, in addition to Prime Minister Netanyahu, they met with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.
A special highlight was a visit to Google’s Tel Aviv headquarters, where Bonds leaders were welcomed by Meir Brand, managing director for Google’s operations in Israel, Greece and South Africa.
Delegates also celebrated Israel’s independence and commemorated formative events that helped shaped the destiny of the modern Jewish state.