Ester Ben-David, Founder and CEO of Zionist Investments, delivered a compelling address at the Jerusalem Post Conference in Miami, calling on Jewish investors worldwide to take an active role in rebuilding and shaping Israel’s future.
“Let me begin with a question,” Ben-David told the audience. “In a few years from now, will you say: I watched Israel rebuild itself from afar, or I helped build it?”
Her message went far beyond business. It was a call for purpose, participation, and shared responsibility. Introducing herself as “an Israeli woman, a mother of five, a former IDF officer who served nearly a decade, and someone whose heart beats in Hebrew,” Ben-David framed investment not merely as a financial act, but as a deeply values-driven one.
She thanked the global Jewish community for its steadfast support of Israel, particularly since October 7, and outlined what she described as the three pillars defining this moment in Israel’s history: Opportunity, Renewal, and Zionism. According to Ben-David, the future of Israeli real estate is no longer confined to Tel Aviv alone. “The real story today is not about one city,” she said. “It is about a movement.”
She pointed to demographic shifts as families seek space, community, and meaning, noting that areas once labeled as “periphery” are increasingly becoming centers of growth and opportunity. With population growth, land scarcity, and evolving planning policies, she argued, the trajectory is clear. “History has taught us one thing,” Ben-David said. “After every war, Israel does not merely recover, it leaps forward. Those who recognize the moment early are the ones who help shape the future.”
Ben-David went on to emphasize the concept of 'Economic Zionism', clarifying that it is not the pursuit of profit at any cost. “Economic Zionism is profit with purpose, growth with responsibility, and investment that strengthens both portfolios and the State of Israel itself.”
According to her, land designated for future housing development, logistics centers that reinforce supply chains, tourism projects that bolster the resilience of Israel’s tourism industry, and income-producing assets that anchor regional economies are not merely “transactions.” They are fundamental building blocks in the ongoing process of nation-building.
This article was written in collaboration with Zionist Investments.