Shalom

It’s been a minute for me as I stepped aside last week for Editor Cory to blog about the ongoing existential crisis of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, but I’ve had this week’s topic in my mind at least that long.

First some housekeeping items! I was both out of the blog spot and physically out of it last week, COVID strikes again. I’m mostly better but I’m not loving the thought of dodging this malady every year now. Secondly it hit me during a very important date, as July 19^th marks one year writing for you all here at Security Systems News. Here’s to us and another good year together. Since I’m new to the industry I’ve hit the ground running and have learned a lot (with a lot left to learn). For example, I learned early on that there are a lot of security and cybersecurity companies in Israel. Like a whole lot.

Which brings us to tonight’s topic because if things keep trending the way they are it might not be the case much longer for the former “Startup Nation”. Combined with the financial shake ups and uncertainties that have affected most of the globe lately, Israel is in the middle of some major political upheaval thanks to a divisive set of judicial reforms pushed through earlier this year.

Not to put to fine a point on it but the legislation is designed to weaken their supreme court. The people aren’t happy about that and it's lead to months of mass protest. More worrying is even as I was planning this blog today, I’m reading articles with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promising there won’t be any civil war over the judicial reforms which is…uh, not something I’d be invoking even lightly. Especially when that article is book ended by another discussing the country buying up $60 million in artillery shells. Yes, those are probably unrelated topics, but that’s a whole lot of red flags for companies looking to raise capital and invest in your country.

If you’ve been reading this space long enough you’ll know I’m not a cheerleader for corporate nonsense. No ethical consumption under capitalism, businesses aren’t people etc. However, businesses do ACT like people, which is to say in their own best interest. A free and healthy country makes for healthy business, and people who are warm with a roof over their head and full bellies spend money, and so will businesses (sort of). When they feel threatened and their creature comforts are taken, they take their money, pull up roots, and go somewhere else, and so will businesses.

So, to this I say shalom, a word I’ve been taught means both hello and goodbye, as well as peace. Peace is good for business, and unless something changes all those startup companies, security industry and otherwise, will bid Israel shalom on their way out the door.