Business Scene

The Haifa Canyon shopping mall has named its fashion avenue after Carla Bruni Sarkozy and has invited her for a private shopping trip.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Carla Bruni 88 224 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Carla Bruni 88 224
(photo credit: Courtesy)
WITHOUT ASKING her, it's difficult to tell whether Carla Bruni Sarkozy would be flattered or insulted that Dror Amit, general manager of the Haifa Canyon had jumped on her bandwagon and decided to name the fashion avenue in the mall the Carla Boulevard, and to invite France's first lady, a former fashion model to come on a private shopping trip. Of course it's a gimmick. The President's schedule doesn't leave time for her to go to Haifa even if she wanted to, because such VIP schedules are put together way ahead of time, and last minute changes, when they are made are usually to omit something for lack of time rather than to include something new. According to Amit the management of the mall had decided to invite the President's lady to launch the new name. However, the stores that line the planned Carla Boulevard are just regular chain stores without top designer labels - indicating that they probably wouldn't have the chic that is Carla Bruni's trademark. IT WAS hardly surprising that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik were together with Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai to present life achievement awards to six outstanding industrialists Eli Hurvitz of Teva; Uzia Galil, chairman and CEO of Uzia Initiatives and Management Ltd.;Yehuda L. Bronicki, chairman of the Ormat Group; Avraham (Bondi) Livnat, a leading figure in transport and finance; Roni Kobrovsky, President Coca Cola Israel; and Yair Rotlevi, chairman of the board of Argaman Industries. Prior to Yishai's appointement to his current ministerial position the portfolio was held by Olmert in the 30th government and before that by Itzik in the 29th government. Hurvitz has a long history of service not only to Teva, but to Israel 's industrial community, some 400 members of which turned up at the Knesset for the life achievement awards ceremony which marked the end of a day of tribute by various committees to the contribution made by industry to the development of the state. Hurvitz was also chairman of the Israel Export Institute from 1974-77, and was president of the Israel Manufacturers Association from 1981 to 1986. Uzia Galil is widely recognized as one of the key pioneers of Israel's high tech industry. A science and electrical engineering alumnus of the Haifa Technion, he served from 1980-1990 as chairman of its International Board of Governors, but long before that he headed the Technion's electronic department of physics from 1957 to 1962. In 1962, Galil founded Elron Electronic Industries, Israel's first high tech holding company and served as its chairman and CEO till 1999. Elron was the parent company of Elbit and Elscint. Yehuda L. Bronicki is Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of the Ormat Group, a global company active in geothermal power plants, recovered energy generation and remote power units. In the late 1950s Branicki joined Zvi Tabor in the National Physical Laboratory in Jerusalem where Tabor had initiated the harnessing of solar energy. Bronicki headed the solar turbine project which was discontinued due to lack of government foresight and interest. Possessed of a vision denied to bureaucrats, Branicki, founded Ormat together with his wife Yehudit in 1965 and continued the development. A native Jerusalemite Dalia Itzik who still resides in the capital called on industrialists to put Jerusalem at the top of their agendas - namely to bring more industry to the city, and wherever possible, to make Jerusalem the headquarters of their enterprises. Olmert said that what characterized Israel 's industry was its originality, its inventiveness, its flexibility and its ability to break through new boundaries. ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR to the United Nations Dan Gillerman is winding up his tour of office just as Richard Jones, the United States Ambassador to Israel is winding up his tour of duty. The paths of the two ambassadors will cross on Monday June 30 when the Israel America Chamber of Commerce celebrates America's 232nd Independence Day. Gillerman will be the guest speaker at the Chamber's farewell for Jones that will be hosted at the Tel Aviv Port by Chamber chairman Chemi Peres and deputy chairman Danny Ayalon, a former Israel Ambassador to the US. TIKAL NETWORKS are negotiating with the Romanian government for the sale of a coded telephone system with internet and mobile phone compatibility developed in Israel . TIKAL CEO Alex Argov has met with Romanian government representatives to show them how the system works. The system is based on Crystal Clear Cryptone which is a unique development, believed to be the only one of its kind that enables cryptic conversations on the internet and the mobile phone. The system is designed to prevent data from falling into the hands of people for whom it was not intended, especially terrorist organizations. The system is already in use by the Italian navy. According to Argov the system provides an ideal solution for any individual or organization who wants to ensure the security of its information. ONE CAN understand why someone with a special relationship with the haredi community would be appointed a sales director for food products, which after all have to meet with specific kashrut standards; or a clothing director to ensure that no items containing shatnes (a linen and wool mix forbidden to Jews) are sold to haredi customers. But why the specific needs of the haredi community have to be taken into account when appointing a sales director for a car rental company, remains a mystery. While it's true that haredim, who generally tend to have large families may be in need of a larger vehicle than secular families with fewer children, this is not an exclusively haredi characteristic. However Hertz Israel has decided to appoint Tzvi Kahana to serve as the Director of Sales for the religious community in Israel and religious visitors from abroad. Kahana will work closely with haredi individuals, organizations, and businesses in Israel , and offer expert advice to incoming religious tourists.