The Israeli Economy: A Story of Success and Costs

Professor Joseph Zeira will discuss his new book on the economic history of Israel from its founding to the present. The book chronicles the Israeli economy's remarkable growth, while offering important lessons for nations around the world through an in-depth survey of a modern economy that has experienced rapid growth, wars, and waves of immigration.

Wednesday, February 16, 2022
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Pacific Time)

CLICK HERE to view the recording on our YouTube channel.

About the Book & Talk

Based on more than two decades of research, Professor Zeira's new book The Israeli Economy tells the story of Israel's rapid economic growth, from being a poor country in a volatile region to becoming one of the richest countries in the world. At the same time, the book analyzes the various impediments to Israel's economic growth.

In his presentation, Zeira will explore the reasons why Israel's economy still remains smaller than other advanced countries, issues with Israel's high-tech sector, the various economic costs of the Arab–Israeli conflict, and the results of Israel's experiment with neoliberal policies. He will also discuss the lessons that other nations might learn from Israel's great economic success, and also its failures. 

Would you like to ask Professor Zeira questions directly? Professor Zeira is hosting a special post-webinar conversation for up to an hour after his presentation. Interested attendees will be provided with a separate Zoom link on the day of the event to access this salon-style discussion.

 About the Speaker

Joseph Zeira is a professor of Economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His areas of expertise include technology and economic growth, income distribution and macroeconomics, money and liquidity, and the economy of Israel. He is also an adviser to the Minister of Finance in Israel, a board member of a Pension Fund, and a member of the Aix Group — an economic study team where Israelis, Palestinians, and Internationals study the economic aspects of potential peace between Israel and Palestine. In 2014, he was a member of a government committee for reducing poverty in Israel, and from 2016 to 2020, he served as the president of the Israeli Economic Association. His book The Israeli Economy was published in 2018 in Hebrew, with the English version becoming available in the US in November 2021.

DISCLAIMER: The views or opinions of our guest speakers and the content of their presentations do not necessarily reflect the views of the UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Hosting speakers does not constitute an endorsement of the speaker's views or opinions.

Sponsor(s): Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, The UCLA Ann and Walter von Gremp Seminar in Economic and Entrepreneurial History