Maoz chairman Jeffrey Swartz spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News today (Wednesday) at the Arutz Sheva studio at the special conference of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption calling on Israeli industries and companies to be part of the process of bringing new Olim to Israel and help identify how these new Olim can strengthen and improve Israeli society.
Swartz said that he connects deeply with this goal on two levels. "One, from an impact perspective. If, not if, but when, we succeed to bring 1.5 million precious new citizens to this country in the next five years, it will transform our nation, make us stronger, safer, better. So that's an impact that we all have to pledge to and serve."
According to him, "The brilliance of what's being discussed today, and it is in fact brilliant, is a recognition that no single actor can do this by themselves. You need business, you need civic society, and you need the leadership of an enlightened, strategic government. Together, that kind of collaboration, which is not instinctive to anybody, let alone to Israelis, that to me is the recipe for delivering 1.5 million more precious citizens here."
Swartz stated that he wants new Olim to work for Israeli companies rather than continuing to work for the same foreign companies after they make Aliyah. "I would say to any Olim who wants to be here, be here. I have deep respect for the multinationals. But I'm interested in creating value in Israel for Israel. People speak of a light unto the nations. Great. First things first. How about a light in the nation? And so, the jobs here that create an inclusive economy, that create an opportunity for less division internally and more connection, a more inclusive economy, that is not because the multinationals aren't interested, but because we, as not multinationals, as Israelis, we're not interested. We're passionate about that."
He noted: "And you will see the power of inclusion. There's much said, and rightly so, about the false god of diversity when it's expressed as a political notion. But as expressed as a business strategy, the idea of bringing people to your enterprise with a different perspective. Look what happened when the Russian Olim came to this country. They transformed the economy. The same is true if you bring from France and from Australia, and from Canada, every other place they hate us. Those Olim will be able to create difference, different value, additive, generative value."
Swartz expressed hope that with the end of the war, many more Olim will now begin immigrating to Israel. "We should be interested, we should pray for it, and then we should work our rear ends off to make it happen. We should ask for the order and make the sale. We should say together and collectively, 1.5 million more Israelis in the next five years will transform our country," he concluded.