Israeli Economy Minister Bennett to Employment Equality Conference: Key to peace is to work together
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett told the annual Employment Commission Equality Opportunities Conference, „The key to peace is to work together. A country that wants to live in peace with its neighbours, must first live in peace with itself. Respect for others, to accept others, and to work with others.”
The Employment Commission’s annual Equality Opportunities Conference opened this morning (Monday, 03/31/2014), held at Bar-Ilan University’s Wohl Centre. The conference, entitled ‘Advancing Equality’ was attended by Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett, Civil Service Commissioner Moshe Dayan, US Deputy Chief of Mission William Grant, Director of the Ministry of Economy Amit Lang, Deputy Director General for Employment at the Ministry of Economy, Michal Tzuk and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Tziona Koenig-Yair.
Minister of Economy, Naftali Bennett, opened the conference and said: „I believe in the importance of equality of opportunities. A country should not only strive for equality in results, but for equality of opportunity. Today, unfortunately, where you were born has a dramatic impact on your opportunities – whether you were born in an Arab village or in Bnei Brak, whether you are Ethiopian or female. Just because of the colour of your skin, or the geography of your birth, your chances of succeeding are much smaller. We want every person to enjoy equal opportunity to realize their dreams. This is a dramatic mission which begins in the education system. We, at the Ministry of Economy, aim to narrow the gap as much as possible, and to achieve equal opportunity to the greatest possible extent.
To employers I say, ‘do not be suckers (frierim)’. Hire those from other communities and accept them. When different people, with different backgrounds and who think differently sit together, good things happen. In order to help employers who understand the economic potential of ensuring equal opportunities and diversity in the workplace, we offer economic incentives, employment centres and guidance for employees, professional training and workshops to best prepare workers for the labour market. We provide professional training in the required fields, as well as guidance and legal support for employers who want to integrate diverse populations in their workforce.”
US Deputy Chief of Mission in Israel William Grant said: „In the U.S., equal employment opportunity has been at the heart of the discussion for decades. Like Israel, the United States is a diverse and frequently changing population. The challenge is to move from talking about the concepts of promoting equal opportunities towards the target of implementing them in the labour market. The basic formula is not only to create a diverse workforce, but to use this to produce services and products that lead the organization or business to thrive. Companies benefit from more tolerant work place environments and a greater understanding of the markets and customers they serve. I guess that in Israel, each business would like to better understand how to reach the ultra-Orthodox, Arab, Ethiopian, and LGBT communities.”
Michal Tzuk, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Economy said: “The Israeli government has a very clear objective regarding increasing the rate of employment, first and foremost, amongst ultra-Orthodox men and Arab women, but also within other specific populations. This constitutes a vast effort, resulting from a change in discourse and, as a result of the last government, a very big change in action in recent years. Employment in Israel has become one of the key issues leading government discourse, with implications for the economy, the market and society. But the Israeli labour market is not always user-friendly, and we strive to reach a goal, where each and every one will be able to best adapt to the employment market, which in Israel, shifts and changes quickly. Demographics has an impact, and this is an opportunity for all of us – government, employers and the third sector – to take advantage of the government attention, activity and infrastructure being created to see what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve. Due to preconceived prejudices, employers are missing out on good, committed, creative and experienced employees. The call for diversity in employment is not a philanthropic endeavour – it can really contribute to the prosperity and success of a business, opening new audiences and markets, and promoting creative and different ways of thinking. We work to bridge the barriers of different populations in the labour market and operate a variety of vehicles to provide the tools and accessibility for employees lacking experience and background, and offer them the required professional training.”
Tziona Koenig-Yair, Equal Opportunity Commissioner at the Ministry of Economy said: „The discourse has begun to change. The discourse is different. And so I thank all the organizations involved; the employers, journalists and government officials who have assisted us in recent years to lead the change in the discourse.”
Referring to an awareness campaign currently running on Israeli media, Keonig-Yair continued: „Our first campaign, our call to employers not to merely discard resumes, conveys to employers the message, not to overlook the obvious. Stop. Consider from a different perspective. See diversity as an advantage. The campaign is asking employers not to run on ‘automatic’. Moreover, we are available to employers, for guidance and advice, to help them think of equality, and to encourage diversity in the Israeli labour market.”
