*  *  *  Dear President Brosh, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a pleasure for me to extend a welcome message to the Annual General Assembly of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel. Your meeting is taking place in challenging times for the global, European and Israeli economies.
Not surprisingly, Israel, as a very open economy, has been adversely affected by the global financial crisis. I also note that the Israeli economy has been quite resilient compared with other advanced economies. Israel can rightfully take pride in its recent economic performance, as well as in its achievements in economic development more broadly.