Profile Shalom Simhon 1996-2013

Mr. Shalom Simhon has served in all Israeli governments since 2001, has specialized in economics, foreign trade, import and export, consumerism, industry, small businesses, agriculture, rural development and environmental protection. He has initiated reforms, has rich international experience, in-depth knowledge of all decision-making processes in Israel, in government, the Knesset, at local authorities and the Supreme Court.

He brings with him three decades of senior-level public works as well as senior financial positions in the economy, including 17 years as a member of the Knesset, and ten years as a minister in the government of Israel.

Over the years, in his capacity as minister, he has been in charge of dozens of public corporations, such as ASHRA, The Natural Disasters Insurance Fund, The Standards Institute, The Export Institute, and more.

With extensive experience in decision-making processes, development, initiative, promotion and process management at the national level, especially in economics and reforms that changed agendas valued in billions of shekels. He has a wealth of ministerial experience in economics, international trade, labor, agriculture, water, land management, environmental protection, foreign workers, technology, research and development and diversified regulation.

With wide international and varied experience in key positions mainly in agriculture, settlements, water, land management, technology, international trade regulation and promotion of Israeli exports and foreign investment.

With high integrative capability and wide-scope perspective, a "people person" active at any stage of the process, implementation of reforms, crisis

management with full cooperation of all parties.

Government and politics specialist – Mr. Simhon has in-depth understanding of all Israeli government work processes, of legislature and local authorities, arising from a senior decision-maker's decades of experience.

Specialist in economic and political International Relations – During the many years of serving in public roles, he carried out official visits to a wide variety of countries on every continent in the world. He met with the global economic elite, led and shaped perceptions in order to integrate Israeli technological abilities in other countries' development and their dealing with various challenges, such as the phenomenon of desertification, implementation of innovation processes in the transition from village to city and more.

Specialist in Israeli and international regulation – In his various roles, he initiated regulatory amplification and relief as appropriate to the requirements of the economy and the increase of exports and imports, while protecting the local economy. Subsequently, he became a prominent expert on regulation and the balances

required for its setting.

Global expert in the field of agriculture and water – He filled key roles in the agricultural sector, was Secretary General of the Moshav Movement, Chairman of the Agricultural Center, an MK representing farmers, and for almost nine years, he served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He placed the issue of water shortage and the use of reclaimed and desalinated water on the agenda and led the strategy that allowed agriculture to cope with changes, challenges and difficulties.

In addition, his professional and thorough familiarity with the issue and the long-term planning he initiated and put into action, helped in dealing successfully with the critical issues the world faces today – these steps revolutionized Israeli agriculture and made it innovative and competitive, with one of the highest output in the world, and crucially important to the building of Israel's national strength.

Expertise in land management – He was a member of the Israel Land Administration during the great crisis that afflicted the settlement movement and led the most important Israel Land Administration decisions on the subject of agricultural land. During his tenure as an MK and minister he become known as the number one expert on this issue, and was involved in major moves to regulate farmers' rights to land.

Mediation expert– He has the ability to help solve crisis through mediation between all parties to the dispute: the government, manufacturers, distributors, consumers, industrialists and labor unions.

He has led processes through compromise and understanding of all the parties charged to contribute to promoting crisis solution.

As Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, he brought to an end negotiations that had lasted almost 10 years between the Mekorot management and its employees; the mediation work he carried out led to the signing of an historic agreement.

Through his mediation, agreements were reached between Mekorot management and employees and the Treasury, influencing the company's restructuring and enabling the creation of a water supply enterprise to compete on the water market. His consensual negotiations management approach proved itself a factor in bringing gains to government system efficiency without the use of force and without the need for legislation.

Strategic communications specialist – He has personal contacts with all media sources, with publishers, journalists and opinion leaders; use of media sources for carrying out activities, trans-crossing government or parties, to influence public opinion.

Expert in crisis management – He is a national and international crisis management expert.

He has served as Chairman of Tnuva immediately after the Silicon crisis, has made changes in Tnuva as required following the crisis, including turning Tnuva's 600 employees into "owners" of the company.

As Secretary of the Moshav Movement, he has led and implemented, in cooperation with the government, entry of Thai workers into the work force on the eve of the first intifada – a move that solved the severe shortage of agricultural workers and assisted in resolving the Israeli agricultural crisis.

Following the severe crisis in the settlement movement in the early eighties; together with the Kibbutz Movement he initiated Israel Land Administration's decisions (called the "Boeing" decisions), breakthrough decisions that led to the expansion of moshavim and kibbutzim – a significant economic step that helped many moshavin to breakout out of the economic crisis in which they were caught and led to the absorption of the new generation and new residents.

During the Second Lebanon War, he led businesses and farmers out of the crisis by recruiting the Minister of Finance to allocate resources and simplify bureaucracy.

Excellent interpersonal skills – He makes decisions while striving for agreement and consensus. The statement "I learned from all my teachers" is for him a way of life. He is pleasant, polite and patient.

Performance roles:

1. Chairman of the Finance Committee of the 15th Knesset: The most important committee of the Israeli Knesset. In addition to his ongoing work as Chairman of the Finance Committee, he managed to promote and approve the opening of some parts of public transportation to competition with Egged workers' consensus who had felt injured by this reform.
2. Chairman of the Economics Committee:
   In this role, he promoted major reforms constituting an economic boost including: media market reform, multi-channel television, consolidation of a package deal to lower bank charges for clients, turning the Post Office into a company, opening the telephony market to domestic competition and foreign calls, the credit data law, and more.
   These reforms created an economic activity momentum, creating tens of jobs that enabled the creation of businesses valued in billions of shekels.

Consumerism

During his tenure as Chairman of the Economics Committee, he was elected Man of the Year in consumerism by the YNET site; he selected subjects touching the citizen's pocket, with the intention of improving the service provided by business entities, leading to price reduction and giving the consumer bargaining power; he succeeded in putting the issue of bank fees on the public agenda, passed a law prohibiting the Mekorot Company to cut off water to citizens for unpaid debt to municipalities, opened the postal market to competition, as well as lowering the Israel Broadcasting Association license fees and dealing with home gas safety issues, lowered the fines collected by Highway 6 and headed a sub-committee promoting the opening of Ben Gurion Airport 2000 which was delayed due to management and bureaucratic failures.

3. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development:

During his three terms as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, he became a world renowned expert in the field. He promoted significant reforms by overseeing Israel's agricultural transition from a closed to an economy open to competition, and due to the scarcity of water and manpower, as well as the need to meet substantial innovative and competitive export targets with foreign countries. He brought the concept "we conquered the desert" as a term to express efficiency and water usage as part of the policy set during his term.

Water – He led the historic agricultural water price reforms with all the parties' consensus.
The reform produced a unique model which he developed and which determined that the maximum price of water would be the average price between the cost of a cubic meter supplied by the Mekorot Company and a cubic meter of desalinated water.
The advantage of this agreement with the Treasury was the setting up of a model that determined that the amount accrued in the Treasury as a result of the increase in prices would be returned to agriculture for investment in savings and efficient use of water.

The direct result of this reform was a significant reduction in consumption of fresh water by agriculture, an increase in the use of reclaimed water and a rise in agricultural efficiency reflected in a significant increase in agricultural      production and a decrease in water consumption.

     Reclaimed water – He led national proceedings, as part of the water agreement, where the government pressed for reclaimed water projects for agriculture; over 80% of the reclaimed water in Israel was restored and increased the water supply that been reduced due to fresh water shortages.

Veterinary services reform – He led significant changes in veterinary services aiming at rehabilitation and reorganization and the replacement of officials by qualified and suitable professionals to maintain public and animal health. The services, consisting of about 200 employees, has a budget of about 100 million shekels, controls all aspects of veterinary services in Israel and is responsible for all aspects of veterinary services relative to Israel's trade relations.

Significant changes in the regulation of plant protection, reduced the use of pesticides, advanced organic farming as well as the promotion of international agreements, and increased agricultural exports through agricultural inputs and good foreign relations.

Increase in agricultural research – Significant fundraising for applied and basic agricultural research.

Shifting and establishment of a wholesale agricultural market – He initiated a complex economic project worth billions of shekels which evacuated expensive land in Tel Aviv and developed marketing of agricultural produce. The market will be especially large and will be a platform for many improvements in the marketing system.

The new market will serve as a meeting point for hundreds of wholesalers and retailers every day; this situation will encourage more healthy competition and reduce profit margin in favor of the Israeli consumer, will set higher standards for agricultural products in favor of farmers and consumers.

Rehabilitation of rural sector infrastructure – He allocated billions of shekels to strengthen the idea of ​​ village agriculture development as an anchor for alternative agricultural labor in areas of rural and agricultural tourism.

Upgrading of agriculture in the minority sector– He initiated massive investments in the agriculture of minorities and in its efficiency while maintaining the tradition of this type of farming, increasing their means of production in the area of infrastructure, water, milk, and eggs.

Development of the grape wine sector and the olive oil industry – As a means of encouraging agriculture that saves water and manpower and rural development, the Knesset promoted automated technology for grape picking and harvesting of olives, leading to public awareness of village tourism and increased by hundreds of percent consumption of wine and olive oil as quality products.

Promoting reform in milk management – He led the largest environmental reform in Israel at the time, where over a billion shekels were invested during a decade.
The Milk Law passed by the Knesset in 2010, regulates the activities of the sector, basing it on legal infrastructure, ensuring the best interests of dairy farmers and

consumers alike.

Agricultural insurance – Depending on global trade agreements, (WTO) and the Government of Israel's later joining the OECD, it was decided to give support to farmers through insurance aid allowed under these agreements.
Insurance for natural disasters, multi-risk insurance and income insurance are optimal solutions for all damages and loss of crops.
He initiated and led an innovative and comprehensive insurance program that covers a large part of the existing risks in agriculture in Israel except for infrastructure damages; its implementation allows farmers and the government to function under market conditions approaching full certainty, thus almost completely eliminating the need to declare a natural disaster.
As part of this agreement, the government increased its participation in regular insurance up to 50%. Multi-risk insurance was extended to other areas, to the

flower, vegetables sector and orchards.

He convinced the government to increase investment in agricultural research and development while providing incentives for investment pathways and budgets for research to develop labor-saving automation. In the grape and olive sectors, the number of employees dropped to zero, the number of employees in dairy-farming dropped dramatically – the result of introduction of milking robots –  machines to crush and prune orchards and groves, machines to automatically trellis tomato and pepper plants, thus preventing the employment of hundreds of workers.

Innovative technology investment policy with the intent of minimizing farmers' dependence on farmhands, especially foreign workers, led to savings in the employment of thousands of laborers.

He initiated the Grazing Law designed to regulate grazing areas that constitute a fifth of ​​the State. The Law guarantees the preservation of open space and encourages environmentally friendly agriculture. The grazing industry makes an important contribution to the environment through dilution of plants that fuel fires, turning cow excretion to natural manure and especially keeping the land free of intruders and environmental hazards such as the throwing garbage into open spaces. He also promoted a plan and allocated a budget for conservation, mapping, and documentation of veteran and mature trees whose presence is significant in the landscape.

4. Minister for the Environment:

In his role as Minister for the Environment, the budget of the Ministry was significantly increased in a short period of time, and he gained the recognition of high officials at the Ministry as a minister "who increased activity momentum for environmental activities after years of neglect."

He promoted six complex international projects, and offered six decisive proposals: a national program to rehabilitate streams, wastewater treatment plants, deployment of cellular antennas, construction waste treatment, rehabilitation of the toxic waste site at Ramat Hovav and the establishment of a government+ company for the Ayalon Park.

During his two terms as Minister for the Environment and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, he led reforms in drainage authorities, reducing them, adding budgets and turning them into drainage and river authorities, increasing cooperation with environmental factors in the field. He also dealt with an organized decision facing the Water Authority for the allocation of water as an ironclad quota for rivers and the protection of their ecological diversity.

5. Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor:

As in his various positions, in the Ministry of Industry. Trade and Labor, Mr. Simhon emphasized increased activity in the area of research and development in the understanding that this would increase investment in Israel, encourage growth and the creation of new jobs.

For the first time, the Ministry, under his guidance, formulated a strategic plan with clear goals and objectives for 2013-2020 activities, with the intent to promote continuity and activity in all areas of Ministry operations critical to the growth of Israel's economy.

The goals are the most detailed ever formulated in industry, trade and labor, and will be a compass for the Ministry's activities in the coming years and its output may be evaluated by the increase in production.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor has a performance budget of 8 billion shekels. During his tenure, the Ministry's budget grew by 20%, despite the fact that the budgets of other government departments decreased by approximately 15%.
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor is one of the ministries on economy which concentrates tools to encourage economic growth in Israel by increasing its ability to compete with world economies.

The Ministry focuses on creating jobs while prioritizing areas of national preference and special populations such as: the Haredim, minorities, single parents and people with disabilities; by increasing exports as a leader in economic growth; by expanding investments in industry and R&D; by developing funding tools and assistance for industry, businesses and investors; by raising consumer awareness and maintenance of fair trade regulations; by development of human capital and education and training system technology; by implementation of day-care centers and nurseries; by increasing enforcement of labor laws and of safety at work.

During his tenure as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, his office was characterized by public struggles to reduce the cost of living, against erosion of Israel's competitive advantage in the world and fighting the erosion of Israel's growth.

In response to the above, the Minister set a number of targets:

a. Encouraging innovation and the R & D industry.
b. Strengthening small and medium businesses.
c. Increasing the volume of exports in industry and the services.
d. Attracting foreign investors.
e. Promoting international cooperation.
f. Focusing and increasing activity in the Indo-China zone.
g. Encouraging purchase of "blue and white."
h. Expanding the productive base by giving priority to competitive, sustainable

           and employment-intensive sectors.
i. Increasing the State of Israel's competitive advantage.
j. Carrying out actions to increase growth with emphasis on increasing the

          work participation rate of disadvantaged populations.
k. Promotion of technology and professional training.
l. Government tools to strengthen consumer protection, the Antitrust Authority

   and the Competition Authority, the Israel Consumer Protection and Fair

   Trade Authority.

Here are some of the activities carried out during his tenure:

In foreign trade relations: Israel is an export country and therefore foreign trade activity is first and foremost in all his activities in the Ministry. He promoted activity diversification in target markets while expanding operations in China and India and opening operations in Africa. He also advanced negotiations for the signing of international trade agreements with China, Russia, Colombia, India, Ukraine and Vietnam, understanding the importance of these agreements' contribution to the State and its citizens.

In the field of industry: Based on the view that the periphery is an economic anchor and a central employer of the residents in the north and south, he led substantial and innovative reform to establish regional industrial zones, based on a unique holistic perspective combining road infrastructure, transport infrastructure, energy, professional training, day-care centers for working mothers; all this as an employment-support infrastructure for  modern industries to be established in the same areas, for low, medium and high wage earners as well as the educated, the professionals, and others.

In the field of small businesses: He worked vigorously both in the government and in the industry to make the issue high priority and formulated the understanding that such an issue is a growth engine for the economy. He laid the foundation for legislation to ensure removal of barriers to the activity of the SME (small and medium-size enterprises) sector which constitutes 98% of the total work sector in Israel. He acted to expand the right of VAT payment in cash and provide assistance to the independent worker left jobless due to closure of the business.

In consumerism: He continued the activity he began in the Economic Committee, strengthened the position of the Consumer Council as a body representing consumers, increased its budget and turned the Israel Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority into an independent, regulatory

body with means of enforcement.

In the employment field: He worked to increase employment rate from the perspective that this is a condition for economic growth. In this framework, he promoted employment of women from minorities and encouraged employment of the Haredim with the cooperation of the third sector and fought to raise public awareness of the issue that labor market participation of minority population, and that of the Haredim, is an important existential challenge to the State of Israel.

Day-care centers: To help parents go out to work, he promoted new construction of day-care centers totaling over half a billion shekels (equivalent to the building momentum at the time of the early 90s immigration waves), across the country, with emphasis on minorities and the Haredim and promoted the Day-Care Center Supervision Law regulating the safety and pedagogical level required.

Technological education challenge: He promoted technological and professional education which had been neglected in recent years. Due to the extreme shortage of traditional industrial professions, he promoted the reform of vocational training in modern legislation and its strengthening by allocating varied resources, in order to establish technical education as a significant stage in the development of an advanced Israeli economy.

Strengthening technological and professional education will help the industry and increase contribution to the GDP while developing quality, professional, competent, effective and productive human capital.

He initiated a five-year plan to double the number of students in vocational training for youth under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor and quality adult training with professional, educational perspective commensurate with the needs of the economy, with a significant upgrade in the field of vocational training positioning.

In labor relations: During his tenure as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, he worked in cooperation with the Histadrut and employers' organizations, particularly in regulation of labor relations. The highlight of his activities in this area was having a law passed to increase the enforcement detained for many years in the Knesset, the law requiring that existing labor laws should be enforced and the rights of workers guaranteed, making Israel standards comparable to that of the OECD in the enforcement of labor laws.

In addition, a large number of labor agreements were made while taking into consideration the need of both employers and employees.

Committees initiated during his tenure: Mr. Simhon believed in establishing professional teams specific to crisis management among which are – providing solutions to works issues at "Phoenicia Glass" and "Pri Ha'Galill."
In addition, among the committees initiated during his tenure is the Food Committee ("Kedmi Committee") established jointly with the Minister of Finance, and following the summer of 2011 protests brought on by an increase in the cost of food.

The minister brought the team's far-reaching proposals to the government for approval. Among others, for the first time, food market regulation regarding opening and closing branches was passed, following the team's recommendation a draft law was prepared to determine the team's recommendations.

The diamond industry which comprises a large percentage of Israel's GDP is currently in crisis. The minister appointed a committee to examine the diamond industry, with the intent of setting tools to strengthen this industry and help it meet global competition.

In conclusion, Mr. Shalom Simhon's rich and diverse experience in the field of economy, his knowledge of Israel's economy and his expertise on many issues in the global market, makes him an expert in a variety of fields and his experience will be a decisive contribution to any task.