17th Annual Caesarea Economic Policy Planning Forum (2009)

	Event Date(s): 7/1/2009 - 7/2/2009
	Date Published: 5/22/2009	Last Updated: 6/21/2010

IDI’s 17th annual Caesarea Economic Policy Planning Forum convened on Wednesday and Thursday, July 1st – 2nd, in Eilat. The Forum, chaired by Minister of Finance, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, discussed four key economic issues currently on Israel’s national agenda.

In the months prior to the conference, Israel’s foremost academics, plus top representatives from the public and private sectors, drafted their reports and recommendations for the conference. This year, IDI’s research teams focused on the following four topics that were discussed extensively by the forum:

The Requisite Size of the Government – between Economy and Politics: Headed by Prof. Joseph Zeira.
The Future of Growth Promotion in Israel: A Return to Boosting Avant-Garde Industries and Scientific-Technological Innovation: Headed by Prof. Arnon Bentor.
Regulation, the Financial System and Macro-Economic Policy – Insights from the Global Financial Crisis: Panel includes Prof. Elhanan Ben Porat, Prof. Lucian Arye Bebchuk, Prof. Eugene Kendel and Prof. Lawrence Christiano.
Macro-Economic Policy in Times of Financial Crisis: Headed by Prof. Eran Yashiv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu addresssed participants at the closing of the conference on the afternoon of June 2nd.

Program

WEDNESDAY, 1st JULY 2009
8:30 - 9:30	Registration and Assembly
9:30 - 13:00	*First Session: The Requisite Size of the Government – between Economy and Politics* [The Olive and Acacia Hall] Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Joseph Zeira, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Presenters: Prof. Avishai Braverman, Minister of Minority Affairs Prof. Zvi Eckstein, Deputy Governor, Bank of Israel Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Head of National Economic Council, Prime Minister's Office Dr. Michel Strawczynski, Director, Macro-Economic and Policy Department, Bank of Israel Prof. Omer Moav, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Dr. Yossi Bachar, Economic Consulting and Business Development Ltd. Dr. Eldad Shidlovsky**, Head of Economics and Research Department, Ministry of Finance Plenary Discussion
13:00 - 14:15	*Minister of Finance's Session [The Ranch House Restaurant]* Greetings: Mr. Meir Yitzhak Halevi, Mayor of Eilat Luncheon Address by Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Finance
14:30 - 16:30	*Second Session: The Future of Growth Promotion in Israel: A Return to Boosting Avant-Garde Industries and Scientific-Technological Innovation* [The Olive and Acacia Hall] Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Arnon Bentor, Dean, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, and Senior Researcher, The Neaman Institute, The Technion Presenters: Mr. Eli Hurvitz, Chairman, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Dr. Eli Ofer, Chief Scientist, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Mr. Michael Eisenberg, Partner, Benchmark Venture Capital Prof. Shlomo Grossman, Chairman, The Planning and Budget Committee, The Council for Higher Education Mr. Sami Friedrich, Chairman, Shaldor Ltd. Dr. Ya'acov Sheinin, Managing Director, Economic Models Ltd. Prof. Oded Shmueli**, Deputy President of Research, The Technion Plenary Discussion
16:30 - 16:45	Coffee Break
16:45 - 18:15	Plenary Discussion (continued)
18:15 - 19:00	Guest of Honor Lecture [The Olive and Acacia Hall] Prof. Lawrence Christiano, Department of Economics, Northwestern University Lecture Topic: Some Policy Changes in Light of the Financial Crisis
19:15 - 20:15	Dinner [The Vista Restaurant]
20:30 - 22:00	*Former Finance Ministers' Session* [The Olive and Acacia Hall] Chair: Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Finance Participants: MK Silvan Shalom, Vice Prime Minister; Minister of Development for the Negev and the Galil MK Roni Bar-On MK Meir Sheetrit, Chairman, The Science and Technology Committee of the Knesset Mr. Abraham (Beiga) Shochat

THURSDAY, 2nd JULY, 2009
8:30 - 12:45	*Third Session (Panel Discussion): Regulation, the Financial System and Macro-Economic Policy – Insights from the Global Financial Crisis* [The Olive and Acacia Hall] 8:30 - 11:00 Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Elchanan Ben-Porath, Department of Economics and Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Panelists: Prof. Lucian Arye Bebchuk, Friedman Professor of Law, Economics and Finance; Director, Program on Corporate Governance, Harvard Law School Prof. Eugene Kandel, Department of Economics and School of Business Management, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Lawrence Christiano, Department of Economics, Northwestern University Presenters: MK Yitzhak Cohen, Deputy Minister of Finance Prof. Zvi Eckstein, Deputy Governor, Bank of Israel Prof. Jacob Frenkel, Chairman of the G30 Group Mr. Roni Hizkiyahu, Supervisor of Banks, Bank of Israel Mr. Yadin Antebi, Commissioner of Capital Market, Insurance and Savings, Ministry of Finance Ms. Smadar Barber-Tsadik, CEO, First International Bank Mr. Eli Yones, CEO, Bank Mizrahi Tefahot Ltd. Prof. Yedidia Stern, Vice-President, Research on Israel as a Jewish State, The Israel Democracy Institute Prof. Efraim Sadka**, School of Economics, Tel-Aviv University Plenary Discussion 11:00 - 11:15 Coffee Break 11:15 - 12:45 Plenary Discussion (continued)
13:00 - 14:45	*Governor of the Bank of Israel's Session [The Ranch House Restaurant]* Luncheon Address by Prof. Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank of Israel
15:00 - 19:00	Fourth Session: Macro-Economic Policy in Times of Financial Crisis [The Olive and Acacia Hall] 15:00 - 17:00 Presentation of the Team's Recommendations: Prof. Eran Yashiv, School of Government and Policy, Tel Aviv University Presenters: MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, Chairman, Knesset Finance Committee Mr. Shraga Brosh, President, Manufacturer's Association of Israel Adv. Eyal Gabbai, Director General, Prime Minister's Office Mr. Yarom Ariav, Director General and Acting Head of the Budget Department, Ministry of Finance Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, Head, National Economic Council, Prime Minister's Office Dr. Karnit Flug, Director, Research Department, Bank of Israel Mr. Uri Yogev, Chairman, Whitewater Company; Chairman, Advisory Committee, The National Economic Council Mr. Oded Tira, President, Phoenicia Ltd. Plenary Discussion 17:00 - 17:15 Coffee Break 17:15 - 19:00 Plenary Discussion (continued)
19:00-20:30	*Prime Minister's Session* Presentation of the Forum's Conclusions: Dr. Arik Carmon, President, The Israel Democracy Institute Mr. David Brodet, Academic Director of the Forum Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Minister of Finance Closing Address by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
20:30	Light Dinner [Bubbe’s Restaurant]