Everyone wants high-tech on the list. What will happen the day after? | Opinion

An opinion column examining the phenomenon of integrating high-tech professionals into Knesset lists. The author, a former Intel vice president, argues that the real opportunity lies not in a campaign logo but in creating a partnership between high-tech, the public sector, and civil society to address Israel's challenges. She warns against gimmicks and emphasizes the need for a shared work culture.

An opinion column by Galit Levi, former director of government and policy relations at Intel, examining the prominent phenomenon of integrating high-tech professionals and entrepreneurs into candidate lists for the Knesset. The author does not dismiss the phenomenon as a mere campaign gimmick but sees it as an opportunity, provided it materializes beyond a status symbol. She argues that the separation between high-tech and Israeli society is artificial and that there is mutual dependence: high-tech needs a strong and stable state, and the state needs high-tech to create growth and competitiveness. The challenges facing Israel—education, employment, industry, reducing gaps, infrastructure rehabilitation—require a genuine partnership between government, local government, civil society, and the business sector. The value of high-tech people, she says, lies not in technical ability but in work culture: identifying problems, connecting people and capabilities, working quickly, measuring results, and the ability to change direction. However, she warns that high-tech professionals will also need to understand that politics and public service are not a startup, and involve public responsibility, balances, and limitations. The crucial question, she says, is what will happen after the polls close: will high-tech professionals get a real opportunity to influence committees and ministries, or will high-tech serve mainly as a campaign logo.