Benny Landa, who was born in Canada and immigrated to Israel in the late 1970s, is described as a pioneer of the Israeli tech industry. He made his fortune selling Indigo to HP, and recently showcased his latest digital printing machines at a major printing industry event in #Germany.
He tells Globes business news site:
[…] "Not long ago, I had a conversation with one of the potential European distributors of the product. He told me: 'If you think you're going to manufacture this in Israel - forget about it, Israel is becoming a pariah state.' It was shocking. And this was said by a senior, reliable person who is very knowledgeable. We are in a very sensitive position right now, and anyone who thinks that what is happening now is not the biggest threat to Israel's economy is mistaken."
In the interview Globes correspondent Assaf Gilad repeatedly undermines Israel’s war crimes in #Gaza, yet Landa expresses major concerns about Israel's economic future due to the ongoing conflict. He believes if Israel's trade and ability to attract investment is severely damaged, it could cripple the economy and national security. The world increasingly views Israel through a lens of Palestinian suffering.
He argues the only long-term solution is separating into two states for Israelis and Palestinians, otherwise Israel risks becoming a bi-national Israeli-Palestinian entity against its wishes. However, he is pessimistic about influencing the government on this issue.
Landa's core mission now is growing Israeli industry and hitech employment to contribute 2% of GDP during his lifetime, but fears this may not be possible given current conflicts deterring investment and trade.