Opinion
Innovation made Israel strong. Voting will keep it that way
“Fly & Vote” is not a slogan. It is a decision to remain part of the system that helped shape you—and to take responsibility for where it goes next.
Israel was not built by size, resources, or geography. It was built by people—and by a system designed to find talent, develop it, and demand responsibility.
That system is what matters.
It begins early. In homes, public schools, and universities where children and young adults are taught to question, challenge, and try again. Over time it becomes structured: identify ability, invest in it, and expect results.
Then it is tested. In national service, young people are given responsibility early, expected to perform, and trusted to solve real problems under pressure.
At its best, the Israel Defense Forces have been more than a military. They have been a national proving ground where performance matters and responsibility is real.
From that system came something exceptional. Units like 8200 did not just produce intelligence capabilities. They produced a mindset—direct, fast, and focused on solving hard problems. That mindset built companies, industries, and Israel’s global position in innovation—grounded in the strength of its education and research institutions.
This did not happen by chance. It is a closed loop: participation strengthens institutions, strong institutions develop talent, and that talent drives innovation and economic strength.
Break the loop, and the outcomes follow.
That is what is now weakening.
In recent years—and especially since 2022—confidence in Israel’s direction has declined. The war has added pressure. Some of Israel’s most capable people are choosing to leave—not out of indifference, but out of uncertainty.
This is understandable. But it has consequences.
Systems like this do not fail all at once. They weaken, quietly, as participation declines and talent disengages.
I have seen this pattern before—the slow erosion of confidence, the outward drift of those most capable, and the long-term cost it creates.
Different time. Different generation. Same choice point.
We came back then—not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.
This is that moment again.
“Fly & Vote” is not a slogan. It is a decision to remain part of the system that helped shape you—and to take responsibility for where it goes next.
In Israel, participation is not symbolic. It is how the system works.
If Israel shaped you—and it did—then you are still part of it. Distance does not change that. Success elsewhere does not change that.
What happens next depends on who shows up to vote.
Come back. Not later. Now.
Come back and vote.
Decide what this country becomes.
This responsibility is not abstract.
It is yours.
Dr. Jeremy M. Levin is the former CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals.
