The 2025 Industry and High-Tech Conference opened this morning in Tel Aviv, drawing hundreds of top figures from Israel’s industrial and economic sectors, including entrepreneurs, economists, government officials, and high-tech representatives.
The conference will feature a series of sessions and meetings addressing the challenges and opportunities facing Israeli industry amid global, security, and economic changes.
President Isaac Herzog opened the conference, highlighting Israel’s economic resilience. “After two years of a difficult war, which significantly affected the Israeli economy and industry, we can begin to look forward,” Herzog said. “We have a strong economy supported by a very impressive industry, which is key not only to restoring growth but also to recovery and healing.
Achieving these goals requires political and business cooperation, strengthening trade agreements, reducing regulation, and embracing global collaborations while thoughtfully implementing the artificial intelligence revolution.”
Dr. Ron Tomer, outgoing president of the Manufacturers Association, used the platform to sharply critique Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. “I hear the Finance Minister saying that Israel’s economic success is a miracle,” Tomer said. “Israel’s economic success is not a miracle, it is the industrialists and the business sector sitting here who work hard and make the miracle happen. It is not due to the Finance Minister’s economic management.”
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The conference, led by the Manufacturers Association, is designed to foster dialogue between government, industry leaders, and high-tech innovators. It also serves as a venue to honor Dr. Tomer for his leadership during challenging years, from navigating the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting industry during the recent war.
“This is a place to engage with challenges and create new opportunities for Israeli industry,” Herzog concluded, praising the contributions of both industrial leaders and government collaborators in shaping the nation’s economic future.