Way off the mark
Avi Jorisch’s “Israel’s DNA” (Frontlines, March 23) is interesting in that he is reviewing his own book, Thou Shalt Innovate. The book paints an idyllic picture of Israel as an innovative and hi-tech powerhouse being motivated primarily by tikkun olam, the Jewish dictum to repair the world.
This is way off the mark. Most Israeli hi-tech entrepreneurs aspire to either a successful IPO or a multi-million-dollar exit via acquisition.
The increasingly technological nature of modern warfare coupled with Israel’s inability to acquire such technology was the driving force for the establishment of the country’s military industries. This succeeded because it was able to steer the best and brightest military conscripts to enter science and technology. In contrast, the rest of the world’s best and brightest sought law and business schools.
Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, there was a temporary drop in military exports, which forced these industries to seek civilian uses and markets. The main factors in this successful transition were the existing labor pool, a massive influx of trained scientists and engineers, mostly from the FSU, and the availability of government venture capital under very favorable conditions in that they were repayable only upon successful commercialization of a product. No equity was taken in the company.
Subsequently, the government made a concerted effort to enter into binational and international agreements for cooperative research and development that resulted in numerous strategic partnerships as well as the establishment of R&D centers for many multi-national corporations.
Mr. Jorisch uses the prophet Isaiah’s dictum that we be a “light unto the nations” as a driving force for our innovation. That dictum has implications that, in many areas, Israel’s light has yet to reach the necessary brightness. However, the conversion of the technologies of death and destruction to those of life and well-being is better served by Isaiah’s prophecy of beating swords into plowshares. SAMUEL DERSHOWITZ Jerusalem The writer worked for the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy for more than 30 years, 10 as manager of international agreements.