"The solution to the situation in Gaza is not military,” Perlmutter charged. “The State of Israel should encourage Israeli entrepreneurs and others from the international community to establish businesses along the Gaza Strip and provide a source of income for its residents.”
Perlmutter said that it is in Israel’s best interest for Gaza’s economy to flourish, and that only when that happens will “terror decrease and we will achieve security and quiet in the region.”
The Gesher candidate has a deep history in business and economic development. He grew up in Ramat Gan and served in the IDF Paratrooper and Intelligence Corps. Immediately after studying engineering at the Technion, he began working for the multinational Intel corporation. In his 30 years with the technology giant, he climbed almost to the top.
Five years ago, he resigned as senior vice president after the board of directors chose another candidate to run the company.
In May 2014, Perlmutter was appointed as a director of the Israeli chip company Mellanox. Earlier this month, American technology giant Nvidia acquired Mellanox for $6.9 billion.
Perlmutter also serves as chairman of the Israel Institute of Innovation and is active in the "Insights in Education" organization, which assists schools located in low socio-economic areas. He volunteers with Tsofen, an organization focused on integrated Arabs into the country’s high-tech arena.