THE LOUNGE
1. National security
Last Monday, Pini Cohen, chairman of the Israeli Board of Trustees of the Institute for National Security Studies, hosted senior business officials in his home in Herzliya Pituah. His guests listened as journalist Ben Caspit interviewed Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, who provided detailed answers to questions about current events such as the military, security, politics and Israeli soccer. Attending were: Anat and Shmuel Har- lap, Yair Seroussi, David Kolitz, Gideon Tadmor, Yona Fogel, Yehuda and Judith Bronicki, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin, who is the director of the Institute for National Security Studies, and Orly Hayardeny, the deputy director.
2. Delek Drilling
Delek Drilling, the developer of the Leviathan Gas Field, Israel’s largest gas project, which is estimated at $4 billion-$5b., hosted guests at the Caliph Hall in Jaffa to celebrate the financial close. Some $1.75 billion of the financing came from a deal with JP Morgan and HSBC. Attending the celebration were Haya and Yitzhak Tshuva, controlling shareholder of Delek Group; Asaf Bartfeld, CEO of Delek Group; Yossi Abu CEO of Delek Drilling; Dan Hacohen of Agmon & Co. Rosenberg Hacohen & Co., the company’s law firm; Michael Israel – CEO of HSBC Israel; Roy Navon CEO of JPMorgan Israel; Yossi Gvura Deputy CEO and CFO at Delek Drilling; Gabi Last; and Roni Bar-On.
3. Marlee Matlin
Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, arrived in Israel last Monday from the US to offer the Oscar award-winning Jewish actress Marlee Matlin the Morton Ruderman Prize for her work in integrating people with disabilities into Hollywood. Ruderman and Matlin also met with Shari Arison, owner of the Arison Group and Bank Hapoalim, her son Jason Arison, chairman of the Ted Arison Family Foundation, and Shlomit de Vries, CEO of the foundation.
4. Mandelblit wedding
Last Tuesday, Omri married Racheli Mandelblit, the daughter of Ronit and Avichai Mandelblit, Israel’s attorney-general. The wedding took place at Lago in Rishon Lezion. Attending the wedding were President Reuven Rivlin, Supreme Court Justice Miriam Naor, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, Supreme Court Justices Hanan Meltzer and Uri Shoham, MK Elazar Stern, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and David Hager, a long-time supporter of integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF and a founder of the Nahal Haredi brigade.
5. Aharai!
Last Friday, social educational organization Aharai! celebrated its 20th anniversary at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Some 7,000 members arrived at the grave of the Jewish state’s visionary after completing a journey that had begun in Ein Hemed and had lasted all night long. Participating in the ceremony were: Construction Yoav Gallant, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, head of the IDF Manpower Directorate Motti Almoz, CEO of Bank Leumi and Chairman of the Friends of Aharai! Rakefet Russak-Aminoach, Founder of Aharai! Raya Strauss, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aharai! Maj.Gen. (res.) Yoram (Yaya) Yair.