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The Prime Minister received from him the OECD's first review of Israel's environmental accomplishments.

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
PM Netanyahu and Environmental Protection Minister Erdan with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Tamaki (Photo: GPO)

IMTM 2011 will be held on 8-9 February 2011 at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center: from 15:00 on, the general public are invited - at no charge.

This year’s IMTM 2011 - Israel's International Mediterranean Tourism Market – is set to be the biggest since its inception 17 years ago. Over 300 exhibitors from more than 35 countries are participating in the fair, to be held on 8-9 February in Pavilion 1 at the Tel Aviv Convention Center.

Participant countries include this year Croatia, Russia, Romania, Cyprus, Turkey, Germany, Italy, the UK, Estonia, Slovenia, Belarus, Portugal, Spain, Lithuania, Montenegro, Latvia, Georgia, Belgium, India, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Tanzania.

And after a two-year break, Greece is participating again, following its popularity as a destination for Israelis who continue to boycott Turkey.

Dozens of tourism and leisure organizations from Israel are set to attend, and will present the Israeli public with this year’s innovations and attractions, aimed at boosting domestic tourism.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (February 8 and 9) IMTM will be open to the general public - at no charge - from 15:00.

Several professional conferences will be held during the event. Travel agents will be discussing the question of the Dead Sea with journalists, the sixth Annual Conference of the Center for Academic Studies will be looking at innovation and creativity in Israel’s tourism sector, and a special conference for managers of Human Resources and Employee Well-Being is planned - “Human Resources and Employee Well-Being in the Social Networks Era.”

Eyal Shmueli, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Israel Travel News magazine, and one of the architects of IMTM comments: "I'm proud to say that this year we’re expecting a record number of exhibitors. Every year we’re thrilled by the huge number of queries from dozens of countries and Israeli tourism sites – all planning to attend the event. It’s an expression of confidence in Israeli tourists and their economic clout. Like every year, we’ll be awarding special emphasis to domestic tourism and incoming tourism – both of which are flourishing, and generating thousands of jobs in Israel. We invite everyone to come to the event and take a world tour in just a couple of hours."

IMTM Is the annual central event of Israel’s tourism sector. Its mission is to encourage incoming and outgoing tourism, plus domestic tourism in Israel, and to strengthen joint ventures with other countries. This is the 17th consecutive year of the event. Alongside the foreign nations taking part are Israeli representatives, tourism associations from around the country, hotels and airlines, car rental organizations, and tourism-service providers.

The event is organized by Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News, and sponsored by the Tourism Ministry, the Israel Hotel Association, EL AL, IATA, Israel Tourist & Travel Agents Association and Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association.

The delegation is compiling data and information for the preparation of an Environmental Performance Review of Israel.



 

A delegation of experts from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and its member states including Norway, Germany, Korea and the USA has completed its visit to Israel to assess environmental conditions in the country and to compile data and information for the preparation of an Environmental Performance Review of Israel.

According to Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, "The arrival of the mission underlines the importance given by the OECD to the environment and to assuring quality of life in its member countries alongside economic growth. I hope that Israel's Environmental Performance Report will help upgrade the environment on Israel's national priority list."

 

Within the framework of Israel's accession to the OECD , the organization will be preparing an Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Israel. During the delegation's 11 day visit to Israel, members met with the Minister of Environmental Protection as well as with representatives of government, local authorities, industry, environmental non-governmental organizations, etc. Their visit included field trips to the Hiriya recycling park, the Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Hadera desalination facility.

Minister Erdan: "Analysis of the report which will be prepared by the OECD will allow Israel to assess its progress in attaining its goals and its international commitments. Its recommendations will serve as a catalyst for promoting our environmental performance."

 

The report will review Israel's environmental performance, with special attention to the use of economic tools for tackling environmental issues, including, among others, energy and air quality, transport and the environment, tourism and the environment, coastal zone management, the national greenhouse gas registry and reporting system, water, biodiversity, noise, waste and recycling, etc.

The report, which will be submitted to the government of Israel, will include conclusions and recommendations as well as a timetable for implementation designed to improve Israel's environmental performance. The OECD will formally follow up on Israel's progress in implementing its recommendations.

 

The Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Dr. Yossi Inbar, said: "This comparative assessment and the EPR process itself are an opportunity to review Israel's environmental performance in different subject vis a vis the existing knowledge worldwide. These tools will also allow us to contribute of the wide range of knowledge which exists in Israel in fields in which we are at the forefront."

 

In preparation for the delegation, the Ministry of Environmental Protection submitted background material, reports and data  to the OECD on a wide variety of subjects:

  1. Biodiversity in Israel - scientific data, information on open space, policy tools and Israel's National Biodiversity Plan, which was published in 2010.
  2. Examples of technological innovation in industry in Israel and the diversity of tools used to encourage innovation.
  3. The Clean Air Law and preparations for its entry into force in January 2011.
  4. The waste revolution and the introduction of extended producer responsibility on packaging spearheaded by the Ministry.
  5. Treatment and recovery of wastewater in agriculture, a field in which Israel is an acknowledged world leader.
  6. Desalination in Israel and measures taken to address the environmental aspects of desalination.
  7. Israel's active participation in international frameworks such as the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), cooperation on high production volume (HPV) chemicals, etc.
  8. Background material on local environmental activities such as community gardens.
  9. River rehabilitation in Israel and the chain of parks.
  10. Wide-ranging data on air quality in Israel, water quality, Sea of Galilee, etc.

 

An Environmental Performance Review is prepared by the OECD for member countries every few years, in order to improve the environmental performance of these states and to create a comparative index among OECD members. Furthermore, the report promotes a continuous policy dialogue among member countries through "peer learning" and stimulates a greater accountability from member countries' governments toward public opinion.

 

 

 

 

As has been customary for many years thus far, the largest Israeli business convention was once again inaugurated and sponsored by Globes.Stanley Fisher

 

The event played host to the most recognized and intriguing people in the Israeli financial and political world as they embark upon dealing with the issues that will design the forecasted outlook of the state and the economy over the next year.

It was thus no surprise that President of Bank of Israel, Prof. Stanley Fischer, was named 'Person of the Year' by Globes.  Fisher has been praised worldwide for his headstrong economic policies and how those policies have helped Israeli prosper and stay afloat during the world's far reaching economic downturn. 



Fischer showed his gratitude for the honor by thanking those in attendance.

"When we at the Bank of Israel come to make a decision on interests and interventions, we sit down in the office and we decide; it's that simple," explained Fisher.  "

"One time, I gave a lecture at a school in Modiin, and the teacher asked me how I come to make decisions on interest rates.  Well, without the extraordinary team that we have in the Bank of Israel - directors and employees - we could not have done what we did. It looks simple but it is not. They did it without hesitation and with great success and that is why the world of finance should congratulate these professionals," he continued.



Fischer did not hesitate in praising the Israeli Economy.

"We can press all the buttons we want, but if there is no economy that responds correspondingly, it will have no significant influence. For example, the low interests in the USA do not influence the mortgage loans, given that there are serious problems in this sector and that the banks are not willing to allow them.



 

We reduced the interest rates and attained a healthy financial system. That is why the banks responded immediately. Our ability to influence the economy is due to the fact that for many years there were people that worked to strengthen it. This started with the stabilization program of banks in 1985. The past representatives of the Bank of Israel and the ministries of Treasury and Employment also contributed significantly to our current, favorable situation.

In the times of the debt crisis in Europe and the United States, it is not shocking by any means that both are suffering the greatest financial disparity in the last hundred years."  

Fischer emphasized the importance of a stable economic model.

 


"If we are to learn anything from this crisis, it is that without a strong and healthy financial system, the economy can collapse," declared Fischer.

Look at Ireland: they did everything correctly except for one thing, they weren't cautious in the financial sector.  The revenue agents allowed for the banks to grow at 700% of the gross domestic product (GDP).



If the State needs to save a banking system whose substance is seven times greater than the economy, there is a problem. The fact that our financial sector is relatively conservative and that we have very strict control over the financial system are reasons why we [the majority of countries] are in the current situation; the biggest crisis since the 1930's."

In this light, Fischer shared with those present, the moment in which he was asked to be the President of the Bank of Israel



"It was at the end of 2004 when my wife and I were on vacation and Bibi [PM Netanyahu] spoke with us. He tried to convince me to accept his offer. It was his own proposition, after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's previous offer. Now, I can tell them both, that I am grateful for having been granted the opportunity to conduct something I always wanted to - to contribute in some way or another to the success of the Israeli economy.

In his praises and thanks, Fischer referred to the issues that require attention in Israel


President Shimon Peres and Diplomacy's Danny Schwarz

 

"We have very serious problems such as poverty, infrastructures, peace...we are very good at dealing with the immediate issues but less so with the long term challenges. We must make a change. Five and a half years ago, I said that the Israeli economy was strong and very flexible. Many people approached me and told me I was too optimistic. I believe that if one does not listen to the all the scandals concerning the economy and if we look at what we achieve despite the challenges and wars; we have reasons to feel proud of ourselves.

But like everything in life, we must avoid indulgence. We are good for now, but these circumstances can change quickly and there still remains a lot to be done.''



Photos Silvia Golan