While in Florida, we have opportunities to see friends who come here for periods of time to escape the winter weather. One dear friend came with tickets for the Super Bowl; and Carol and I, along with some others, had an opportunity to dine together. This friend is a president of a large company and he told us that he was leaving shortly for Turkey, Jordan and Israel. He explained that he was first going to Turkey to meet senior management and then to Jordan to see the manufacturing arm of the company. Finally, he was going to Israel to meet with the technology people who were revolutionizing his company’s operation.
Our friend believes that while China and India are now the main leaders of manufacturing for America, the Middle East will emerge as the next group of nations with an inexpensive work force along with Israel’s superior expertise in so many areas. With object poverty in Egypt, they are working behind the scenes to join with Jordan and Israel in a consortium of mutual interests. He also believes Syria and Lebanon will
join to avoid exclusion from this new economic partnership. As my friend said, business trumps politics and longstanding historical animosity. Many of the business people he has come in contact with in his travels have expressed similar feelings about China and India becoming too advanced economically to keep wages down and lifestyles in check. This will lead business leaders to search for a country with lower wages and higher skills.
I found this discussion most interesting. My friend was saying that the deep seated animosity in the Middle East might be resolved not by politicians but by economic partnerships that raise the lifestyle in the region, making war a costly and unwelcome intrusion.
Later this month, we will all sit down to celebrate Passover and retell the story of our ancestors escape from Egypt to freedom. Maybe peace will come to Israel and the Middle East by business partnerships concerned that the widespread growth in the area would be destroyed if a final peace settlement were not achieved. Perhaps, the success of these potential economic alliances could force the politicians to cease haggling over entitlement and parcels of land, resulting in an end to this long standing impasse.
Hag Samach!
Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut
Rabbi
