דברי ברכה -חנן פרידמן, מנכ"ל בנק לאומי, Hanan Friedman, CEO, Bank Leumi

Shalom everyone. Good afternoon. First of all, I would like to thank the Fifth Avenue Synagogue, Rabbi. It's always a pleasure to come here and be welcomed by this very special community that welcomes everyone. I would like to thank Mr. Ludada, publisher of the HaSheva group, for inviting me to speak here today. With your permission, I would like to start with personal notes since I met outside here a friend of mine that reminded me of something emotional from last week. So last Tuesday, my second son returned to his reserve duty in Rafah. He started this reserve duty before Passover and he's still there. And he called me before entering back, he told me I will have to turn off my cell phone. It's not allowed. And a few minutes, maybe half an hour later, I got a WhatsApp message with a picture of him and of a friend of mine, an American man who lives not far away from here in Tenafly, and they replaced each other. He was with a lot of dust on his uniforms and on his face after being in Rafah for three weeks, and my son that just returned from home was clean. So it's a very nice picture, a very emotional picture for me. So, of course, I called this guy, Eric, and I spoke with him, and he reminded me that during the first month of the war, he served alongside my son in Gaza, then in Lebanon, and a few months later in the south of Lebanon. And now, once again, they had met and replaced each other. Behind the coincidence, there is something I believe will astound you. Since the beginning of the war, this American friend of mine came to Israel five times to serve in reserve duty. Yes, five times. And he flew to Israel at his own expenses. He's here today. I saw him upstairs. Of course, I will not present him since he has plans to fly to Europe and I don't want to risk him, but I think it says a lot regarding the resilience not just of the Israelis but of all the Jewish tribe, including those who are living in the diaspora. I believe that no other country in the world has such people that will risk themselves again and again in order to protect their home country, their beloved home country. Yes, it's true. There are disagreements and there will be disagreements always. This exists in any society with a complex fabric of life. And in my perspective, it's good. It's a good thing to have disagreements. But we should never forget our shared values. Values of solidarity, of mutual responsibility, a deep commitment to the security of our nation and our beloved country. The phrase 'all of Israel are responsible for one another' is not just a slogan. Indeed, it's the secret formula that makes us resilient now and forever. This resilience of the Israeli society must also be attributed to the Israeli economy, which is remarkable. Despite forecasts of negative growth published by credit rating agencies at the beginning of the war, Israel's economy is actually growing. Even in 2024, a massive war, the GDP grew 1%. I believe this gap between early projections and actual performance of the Israeli economy stems from the fact that the regular economic models don't account for the unique DNA of the Israeli society. That unique DNA is also the secret behind the success of the high-tech sector, the engine of the Israeli economy. The Israeli startup nation is a source of pride for all of us. It is powered by innovative ideas. It became a global model thanks to the boldness of Israeli entrepreneurs, those who are willing to take risks and establish companies that turn vision into reality, and it will continue to serve as our differentiator. Israel in innovation is one of the prominent factors that allows the Israeli economy to maintain its resilience in times of crisis. It was proved in this context. We are seeing more and more entrepreneurs returning from the battlefields with a hunger to create and execute innovative and cutting-edge ideas. Another factor that underlies our national resilience is the financial system. The Israeli banking sector, headed by the Bank of Israel and the Governor of the Bank of Israel who honored us today and is here, is a symbol of stability and strength. It is efficient, technology-driven, and always supports the economy even during times of crisis. Israeli banks are deeply embedded in the Israeli society. As part of this commitment, they have given their customers unprecedented support throughout the war. Bank Leumi alone invested in the Israeli community from the beginning of the war over half a billion shekels, a huge amount. This is an unprecedented sum which contributes greatly to our social resilience. Dear ladies and gentlemen, I started my words today with a message of unity and I think it's only fitting to end with the same message. The unity of the Israeli society and the unique ties between diaspora Jews and the State of Israel is the guarantee for overcoming the challenges that are yet to come. We have a unique DNA and our economy demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate resilience thanks to this DNA. I cannot conclude without a prayer from the bottom of my heart for the swift return of our 58 brothers and sisters who are still being held captive by the evil Hamas terrorists in Gaza. We are all waiting for you at home. Thank you.