“When you have an environment that supports authority …you lose innovation,” says Bendov. “There’s no innovation coming out of Russia, China, Poland or Hungary.”
After almost three months of mass protests again Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to overhaul the judicial system—and a direct rebuke from President Joe Biden—Netanyahu has started to soften his stance. But the protests continue, in Israel and beyond, as much remains in doubt.
Gong.io CEO Amit Bendov recently shares his views on the situation as part of a broad interview on the business landscape. The Israeli entrepreneur believes the “game-changing” legislation would undermine Israel’s democracy and the economic future. Here are some comments from Bendov, and click on the video above to see the full interview:
All innovation, science or technology, comes from casting a doubt, asking a question, from questioning authority. When you have an environment that supports authority and loyalty and ‘do as I say,’ that’s when you lose innovation.
There’s a coalition that is a perfect storm of religious right wing and a prime minister who’s in a delicate situation with the judicial system. Now, they’re trying to pass legislation that strip the Supreme Court of any real power. That would put us in the same situation as a Hungary or Poland or Russia.
This is beyond politics. Politics is like, should we be in the West Bank? This is changing the game: changing the constitution. You have to speak up. I really believe this could destroy the country, the innovation, in the longer term.
All innovation—science or technology—comes from casting a doubt, asking a question, from questioning authority. Look at Galileo and Copernicus. When you have an environment that supports authority and loyalty and ‘do as I say,’ that’s when you lose innovation.
It will stop being a democracy. Government has ultimate power. It will drive out investment. It’s not creating a great investment environment.
Israel has been thriving. This country has more technology companies than almost all of Europe. This wouldn’t have happened without the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives when you disrespect authority. There’s no innovation coming out of Russia, China, Poland or Hungary,
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