Amsterdam – Members of the business community are furious following the announcement by Economic Minister Aryeh Deri on Thursday that Israel’s “Startup Nation” pavilion at this week’s IBC Convention in Amsterdam will be closed for 3 of the 5 days the convention will running due to conflicting schedules with Sahbbat and Rosh Hashana.
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YNETNEWS.com (http://bit.ly/1NnmiWS) reports that the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) is world’s leading conference in showcasing the latest technology and business ideas in broadcasting and media and is set to run this coming week from Friday, September 11 through Tuesday, September 15.
Featured this year are 18 of Israel’s cutting edge technology leaders in the exhibit, “Startup Nation.”
Following a briefing, Minister Deri, leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, ordered the exhibit closed on Saturday the 12th due to Shabbat, and on Monday and Tuesday the 11th and 12th in observance of Rosh Hashana.
Vibe Israel CEO Joanna Landau called Deri’s decision “pitiful” while adding that closing the exhibit for 3 days will result in “irreversible” damage to Israel’s business community.
Bh- the decision to close demonstrates the proper priorities for a Jewish nation. “Pitiful” – no it”s laudable! “Irreversible damage”? Just the opposite – it demonstrates that principles are not for sale. Imagine an expo on Christmas or Eid al- Fitr! Merely scheduling it for Rosh Hashana demonstrates a lack of sensitivity at best, with disrespect or worse as an alternative. Self respect demanded the closure, let alone Halacha. We are not kechol hagoyim – our success comes from H-shem. Shana Tova umesuka!