WEBVTT - The Strategy, Economics and Devastation of War 0:00:01.360 --> 0:00:05.680 This is Bloomberg Business Wait inside from the reporters and 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:09.440 editors who bring you America's most trusted business magazine, plus 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:13.680 global business, finance and tech news. The Bloomberg Business Week 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:19.000 Podcast with Carol Messer and Tim Stenebeck from Bloomberg Radio. 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:22.840 Just looking at our most read on the Bloomberg We 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:26.200 are doing a daily update, if you will, on the 0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:27.960 Israel Hamas conflict. 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:30.440 That's always at the top of the most read it always. 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:32.839 Is, right and Israel's defense minister telling the US to 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:36.120 brace for a quote long war against Hamas. A Secretary 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:39.120 of State Anthony Blinken returned to Israel for further talks 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:42.040 amid a global push to prevent the conflict from spreading. 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:45.040 President Joe Biden is also considering a visit. So we 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:47.840 keep hearing all of this from our news team as well, 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:49.800 but that seems to be among the latest. 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.040 I think it's really notable what Mike Reagan said a 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:55.200 few moments ago about all of the diplomacy going on 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:58.160 behind the scenes, and you know, not just behind the scenes, 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:01.160 but in front of everyone right now with Lincoln back 0:01:01.200 --> 0:01:05.360 there trying to prevent this from spreading into something bigger. 0:01:05.080 --> 0:01:06.800 All right, so let's talk about that, because that's something 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:08.200 Tim and I have talked about a lot since this 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.959 conflict broke out with US, and so appreciative. Back with US. 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:19.920 Major General Maston Robinson Geopolitical Intelligence Robson excuse me, Geopolitical 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.280 Intelligence Advisor to the Academy Securities Advisory Board. He's on 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:27.240 Zoom from Greenville, South Carolina. The general served about thirty 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:29.880 four years on active duty in the US Marine Corps. 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:33.119 He served in more than sixty countries and that includes Liberia, 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:37.040 Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and he did command at every 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:40.280 operational level in the Marine Corps. Major General, thank you 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.120 so much for being with us. How does what comes 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:45.560 next determine so much longer term here? 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:53.080 Thanks Carol, Tim, great to be with you. Without a doubt, 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:56.480 there's got to be an assault. Without a doubt, Israel 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.080 is going to go out to Moss with every antenna 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:02.320 of destroying them. That's not going to be easy because 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:05.040 although they have a pretty good intelligence space, what it's 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:07.880 in as where the tunnels are, where the buildings are, 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.480 Getting that thing without significantly later or damage is going 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:14.959 to be really brutal. I think what we're going to 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:17.920 see is they are trying right now their best to 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:22.560 set up their options, make sure that they have as 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:26.040 many partners and as much latitude as they can. But 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:29.560 the end of the day, this part would be how 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.160 much lows the home bown, how much Iran or hes 0:02:34.200 --> 0:02:35.520 will to come in to help them. 0:02:36.720 --> 0:02:39.880 Well, talk to us about what you believe is happening 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:43.480 behind the scenes right now from a diplomatic standpoint, because 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:48.200 it seems like the US is doing everything it can 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:50.920 to prevent this conflict from spiraling out of control. 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:54.520 I think the US is doing anything they can to 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.399 ensure I don't think US has any illusions the conflict 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:01.080 isn't going to happen, So what they're trying to do 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:05.519 is mitigate side effects. And whether it spins right or less, 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:10.360 how does this influence our opportunity or our relationship with Russia, 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:15.480 with Turkey, how Middle East relationship? Or does Saudi standard 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.519 disk Is Egypt willing to come on board with the 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:22.480 Abraham Cords and be supportive, or does the Brotherhood start 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:25.880 to influence to take a little more empathetic position towards 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:30.679 a monsk So there's certainly a lot of dynamics here 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:34.520 that we're trying to shore those up. Nobody knows what theis, 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:37.320 what Elebanon's will to do, what Ron's going to do, 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.560 what Egypt's going to do, But we do know what 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.160 Israel some do. So it's how do we shore up 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:47.760 the unknowns, how to create as stability as possible while 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:50.600 you still can general shooting starts. It's really hard to 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:52.640 negotiate the. 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.600 Thing though, I mean, does does Israel have a choice 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:57.760 to not attack? 0:03:58.800 --> 0:03:58.960 Not? 0:03:59.000 --> 0:03:59.320 Really? 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:00.200 No? 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:03.680 And why? 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:07.400 I mean I understand, I understand in terms of the 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:12.400 severity of what has happened, but why do they not? 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:15.240 For those who might be asking that question. 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:19.080 I think if you consider that AMOSC was established in 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.360 nineteen eighty seven and grew out of you know, that 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:26.400 last rebellion it was unsuccessful. They've been in control of 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:30.000 gods since two thousand and seven, whether that was by 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:35.080 Forrester or by democratic process, it arcroized and empowered them. 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.039 And the fact that they have taken fifty percent of 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:42.320 the ground force of their trained goddist and put them 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:46.080 into the fight. They've never shot through five hundred rocks 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:50.640 in a single day before, and without a doubt, planning 0:04:50.680 --> 0:04:53.200 for this had to have had some outside influence. We 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:57.200 just can't confirm yet exactly who that was. If this 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:01.240 doesn't take a step here, Moss will see this as 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.599 a sign of weakness, and all it will do is 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.640 embolden them to do more. There's no way Hamas steps 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:08.720 back from this at this point. 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:13.599 Unfortunately, we've seen many civilians on the Israel Israeli side 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:20.200 as well as in Gaza killed already. Major General, how 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:24.320 does how do we prevent more deaths? How does Israel? 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:26.640 What does Israel need to do to prevent more deaths? 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:29.960 I guess we'll try to be as surgical as they 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:31.440 possibly can be, but it can be. 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.600 That's hard in Gaza, where it's, you know, one of 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:35.680 the most densely populated places in the world. 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:40.799 It is, it's particularly hard when you don't have bunker 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.400 busting bombs, which which you know they're hoping we're going 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.000 to give them. That's that's a deep dive down to 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:47.800 a whole lot of suments to be able to get 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:48.120 to it. 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:52.200 You know, when you said that Israel, excuse me, Hamas 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:54.680 had to have had some kind of outside assistance. Do 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:57.159 you not yet rule out that Iran had a role 0:05:57.160 --> 0:06:00.360 in this, even though intelligence so far I believe even 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:02.799 heard that from the President. I think on sixty minutes 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:06.200 last night that so far that there's no signs that 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:09.919 Iran has had a hand in assisting Hamas. Do you 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:11.400 think the jury's still out on that? 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:17.160 Yes, enough, I think for diplomatic reasons, the President being 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:21.479 very wise not to make the accusations becamet proved. But 0:06:21.600 --> 0:06:24.320 I think anybody sitting on the sidelines with any kind 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:28.400 of history in this absolutely sees Iron's fingerprints on this, 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:33.360 and that they are all over the money they've been 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:38.640 flowing into Hamas for the last five years, and you 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:42.760 consider nothing's really happened five to seven years, that really 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:46.279 is the time that Hamas longed Israel to sleep, thinking 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:50.000 maybe they are legitimately going to put more instance on 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:54.159 their political influence than on their rebellions and on their 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:58.240 desire to destroy Israel. Well, that proved to be untrue, 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:02.880 and it was as addition, Will fell into that's the 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:07.000 reason that they can't afford with this kind of build up. Jesus, 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:07.520 let it go. 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:12.720 What do you think when when the world does understand 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:19.160 forces that perhaps help Tomas, what should the reaction be 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:23.520 Because we've seen war prolonged war in the region before, 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:25.320 and it never ends. 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:29.720 Well, it will be divisive. I think that those who 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.400 believe that what Amasu did was unconsistable will side with Israel, 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.680 and those who believe that the state of the Palestinian 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:44.000 nation is it's also reprehensible what what they have suffered 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:48.800 through support them. So there'll be a division, without a doubt. 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:53.119 The question is where does Saudi land, Where's Egypt land? 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:58.120 Where does land? Where does Ue land? In that debate, 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:01.960 if they are willing to go wait a minute, this 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:05.400 is the Jie Hottest type movement. This is not the 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:10.000 Palestinian people. And we're going to in essence either stay 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:14.800 neutral or to give at least tastily support to the 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:18.920 Abraham Accords theory. Then I think that's a little different 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:23.160 set of circumstances. And if everybody unifies behind Hamas, I 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:29.080 don't really see Saudi in Egypt rallying behind Hamas in this. 0:08:30.640 --> 0:08:34.680 Keep in mind Sally his parents. Saudi is as paranoid 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:38.240 and afraid of Iran as anybody else is. So the 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:41.280 last thing that I see them doing is creating some 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:42.760 kind of partnership with the Ran. 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:48.720 Long term, do you ultimately see a ceasefire at some 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.920 point in the near future. And I'm just curious if 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:53.880 you think about this in terms if you have a 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:57.679 specific time frame where you think Israel does what Israel 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:00.320 has to do, and then things calm down and then 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:02.600 people try to figure out the way forward. 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:03.640 Yeah. 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:07.720 There. We generally think of decision cycles in this. Is 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:12.000 it effects based or time based. This is definitely an 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:16.120 effects based decision cycle where Israel will say I'm only 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:18.080 going to pause and I think that I've had the 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:21.079 initial effects that I want to have, You'll have to 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:21.920 do it time. 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:24.600 Well. 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:27.960 We always so appreciate your insight and your time. Once again, 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:30.240 so thank you so much for joining US. Major General 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:34.720 Maston Robison. Robinson excuse me, Geopolitical Intelligence advisor to the 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:40.040 Academy Securities Advisory Board, understands battles, having served over thirty 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.080 four years active duty in the US Marine Corps. But 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.080 you know, I was struck by something that our Lisa 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:48.280 Bayer writes Tim, and she says, quote, the struggle between 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:50.160 Arabs and Jews of our ownership of the Holy Land 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:52.480 dates back more than a century and has given rise 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:55.559 to seven major wars. Of course, the latest broke out 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:57.960 October seventh, which is what we are talking about now. 0:09:58.040 --> 0:10:00.000 So my question is how do we get this struggle 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:01.160 to stop ultimately? 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:03.360 I mean, this has been a defining characteristic of the 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.280 Middle East during our lifetimes. And the sad part is 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:07.880 is I don't see how it ends anytime soon. 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:11.120 Yeah, and we appreciate though the Major General wing, and 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.079 we're gonna have another voice with an interesting and unique 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:16.080 perspective a little bit later on on this conflict. 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:19.920 You're listening to the Bloomberg Business Week podcast. Catch us 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:23.320 live weekday afternoons from three to six Eastern Listen on 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.400 Bloomberg dot com, the iHeartRadio app, and the Bloomberg Business app, 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:30.000 or watch us live on YouTube. 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:32.920 Hey, we have talked earlier about the latest on the 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:36.400 Israeli Halmus conflict and really the way forward, trying to 0:10:36.400 --> 0:10:38.720 figure it out and kind of what happens next and 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:42.240 how much wider maybe it expands. We have another voice 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.280 on this, tim who comes in comes at it from 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:46.360 a few different angles. 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:48.240 Yeah, very please to have with us this afternoon. Lee 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:51.760 or Susan a former special forces agent for the Israeli military, 0:10:52.040 --> 0:10:55.080 also the founder and managing partner of Eclipse Ventures. It's 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:57.120 a VC firm that invests in as they know it 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.920 on their website quote entrepreneurs rebuilding the world's physical industries. 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.920 Leo joins us this afternoon on Zoom from Palo Alto, California. Lee, 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:08.040 are good to have you with us this afternoon. Just 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.000 give us your view over the last week as somebody 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.440 who served as a special forces agent in the Israeli 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:17.920 military and how you're watching what's going on in Israel 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:18.520 and Gaza. 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.400 Thank you, folks, thanks for having me and first of all, 0:11:22.480 --> 0:11:25.559 sending my prayers to all of the families that lost 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:29.400 the lot of ones on both sides. I was started 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:33.480 by saying people are talking about the Israeli Palestine and conflict, 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:38.559 they must zoom out. This is not an Israeli Palestinian conflict. 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.640 We are talking about the Western world fighting against it all. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:47.200 It's not a coincident that the Hamas opened that terrible 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:50.560 terror attacks on Israel exactly ten days ago when the 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:57.000 Saudis was ready to sign historical peace process with Israel 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.480 that will change the Middle East. Look what opening in 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:04.800 the Middle list with the golf countries, with Ue, with Egypt, 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:07.400 with Jordan. There is a prosperity, there is a new 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:11.960 way of living next to each other's focusing on building companies, 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:16.400 focusing on innovation, focusing on technology. The reason that this 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:21.520 war start is someone is feeling uncomfortable having peace in 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:24.480 the Middle List and it's connect to China, and it's 0:12:24.520 --> 0:12:27.720 connect to Russia, and of course it's connect to Iran. 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:33.600 So it's complicated. As we talked earlier with someone who 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.520 fought for the US Marine Corps, has done several duties 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:42.080 at a very very high level. It's complicated because there 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:48.120 are so many moving parts. If you will ultimately, do 0:12:48.160 --> 0:12:51.719 you see a way forward that though ultimately where I 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:55.080 don't want to say capitalism, but a better economic way 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:57.760 for more actually wins out. 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.959 There or any other way around. Israel is not going anywhere. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:07.120 On the Palestinian is not going anywhere. We must find 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:09.520 a way to live in peace next to each other, 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:13.680 and there is zero chance that that's will happening. While 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:18.920 a radical toe organizations like comas controlling Gaza because they 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.760 say actually on their foundation that their mission in the 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:25.880 world is to wipe Jews and israel Is from the map. 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.720 That's the only thing they believe. In death, you cannot 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:32.000 do business with people that wants you to die. But 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:36.080 from a fundamental point of view, I love the Palestinians 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:39.600 and have a lot of Palestinians friends, and we want 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:43.560 to live next to each other in peace, focusing on 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:48.559 building the next technology that will kill cancer. As someone 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:52.120 that served and so the pain of war, there is 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.720 nobody more incentive than I to go and fight against 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.480 those tail organizations to make sure that we can go 0:13:57.520 --> 0:13:59.920 and focusing on prosperity rather than fight. 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:04.480 I think you served in the special forces for the 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:08.520 Israeli military. We see many many people going back to 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.880 Israel to serve once again, as hundreds of thousands have 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:16.520 been called up. Have you been called up? Are you 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:17.040 going back? 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:22.440 Unfortunately, I don't have the clearance that it's required anymore 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:25.040 to serve for my country because I live in the 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:29.200 United States for more than a decade. All of my 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:32.280 friends wants me to be here right now to focusing 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:35.320 and explaining the world that this is not a word 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:38.680 between the Israeli and the Palestinian This is a war 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:43.240 between democracy and a radical world, a radical that don't 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.560 believe a freedom of speech, that don't believe a freedom 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:50.000 of religion, and don't believe in prosperity in building businesses. 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:54.520 So unfortunately, I need to serve my country from palalto 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:56.080 right now, So talk to us. 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:57.920 Though, I thought le Or what was interesting, because I 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:00.560 do think that many think it is a war between 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:05.560 it is between Israel and Hamas. But I think there's 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:10.880 a feeling too of conflict between Israel and Palestine or Palestinians. 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:14.280 You say you work with them, talk to us about 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.400 in your in your role as a founder of Eclipse Ventures, 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:21.320 I'm assuming you're investing in all kinds of businesses. Talk 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:23.040 to us a little bit about that relationship that you 0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:26.520 are having with Palestinians. 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.760 Yeah, let me give you a sad story of a 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.240 close friend. His name is Al Waldman, and he was 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.160 the founder of a company called Melanox that sold in 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:40.160 a couple of billions of dollars to Nvidia. Eyal was 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:44.080 the first one to establish an RND centers in the 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:49.080 West Bank as well in Gaza software engineers to support Melanox. 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:51.520 And trust me, he didn't receive a lot of love 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:54.120 from the right wings in Israel by doing that, and 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:57.960 he employeed thousands of people in the West Bank and 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.920 Gaza that will do software developed and for him because 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.560 like me, he believed that the only way to fight 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:08.000 still all is true business and true friendship. Ayal's daughter 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:12.160 was one of those kids being slaughter in that music 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:17.160 festival ten days ago. So how ironic is that that 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:20.320 his daughter that was twenty three years old dance and 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:25.760 music festival got slaughtered by Ramastel, while Ayal is the 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:30.000 one that employeed thousands of people on the Palestine inside. 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:35.800 There's no words, There's absolutely no words. And I guess 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:38.560 what I wonder too, is you know we think about 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:42.880 this a lotly, or that we think finding an economic 0:16:42.960 --> 0:16:47.600 way out of things or capitalism ultimately will prevail and 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:54.240 lead it to a better way for everyone. Is I 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:56.040 guess what? We're just trying to figure out that there's 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:58.720 been conflict in this region, in this area in particular, 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:01.440 for such a long time time. So I hear what 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:05.320 you say, So how do we get the way forward, 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:08.720 especially when you still do have terrorists who are out 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:09.760 there like Amas. 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.040 I think it's a great example of me traveling to 0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:17.480 the UE ten times this year and doing amazing business 0:17:17.520 --> 0:17:22.040 and watching the highness leadership. It's a great example of 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:27.440 how you winterval But which prosperity there is in Lebanon's 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:30.640 physimalized there to free the Lebanese. Is Hamasi is there 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:35.280 to free the Palestinians, is Isis is there to free 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:39.320 the Surian people. Is Al Qaeda was there to free Afghanistan. 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:43.440 We all in the Western world needs to fight Telo 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:46.919 so we can our kids can have a future. And 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:49.000 I want my kids to have a future next to 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:52.760 my Palestinians neighbors. There is no any other way around, 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:54.840 and I will never stop fighting for it. 0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:59.240 Are you worried about a potential ground invasion of Gaza? 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:02.960 After all, it's been days since Israel warned people in 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:05.560 northern Gaza to move to southern Gaza. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.080 And do you think it's wrong considering what you just 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:10.280 said about Palestinians. 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:17.119 I'm sorry and sad about the situation that is happening there, 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.720 but you need to understand that Israel is not going 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:24.800 to sit aside and let the whole west of the country. 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:29.040 Having thirteen hundred kids and womens that've been slaughter in 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:32.719 one day and more than one hundred and fifty people kidnapped, 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:36.040 most of them civilians, some of them babies. On the 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:39.720 age of three months. Israel cannot continue to have the 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:43.760 Hamas sitting in the south part of Israel shooting rockets 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:48.800 when they feel comfortable with Which prosperity happened in Gaza. 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.280 Israel is out of Gaza on two thousand and five. 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:57.240 Which prosperity, which start that is being built, which infrastructure, 0:18:57.520 --> 0:19:02.480 which a great innovation is happening. Nothing can be born 0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:06.640 when there is a radical to organization control the old country. 0:19:06.880 --> 0:19:11.280 And unfortunately, unfortunately more people are going to lose their 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:14.560 life both sides because of that organization. 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:16.240 Lee Or, we have to leave it there, but I 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:18.040 hope we can come back to you, and I hope 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:19.400 we can come back to you at a time that's 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:23.359 more peaceful, certainly in the Middle East at this point 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:26.840 in Israel and Gaza specifically, Lee Or susan former special 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:29.920 forces agent for the Israeli military, founder managing partner of 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:34.119 Eclipse Ventures. They're an investor and they are investing in 0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:39.160 entrepreneurs who are rebuilding specifically the world's physical industries. So 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:42.320 you can find more information at their website. But just 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:44.600 great to get his perspective, A very unique one and 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:48.160 I think a really important one, joining us from Palo Alto, California. 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:49.159 This is Bloomberg. 0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:54.360 You're listening to the Bloomberg Business Week podcast. Catch us 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:58.000 live weekday afternoons from three to six Eastern on Bloomberg 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:01.879 Radio the Bloomberg Business app YouTube. You can also listen 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:05.080 live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship New York station, 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:09.840 Just say Alexa play Bloomberg eleven thirty. 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:12.400 All right, Carol, check this out. According to the US 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:14.680 Census Bureau, the number of people here in the US 0:20:14.720 --> 0:20:17.520 who spoke a language at home other than English almost 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:21.399 tripled between the years nineteen eighty and twenty nineteen. So 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.040 in terms of numbers, it's nearly seventy million people here 0:20:24.080 --> 0:20:24.520 in the US. 0:20:24.640 --> 0:20:25.280 That's like a lot. 0:20:25.359 --> 0:20:27.640 But that's a lot. But I'm not one of them. 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:30.000 But what if you're like, you know, I want to 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:33.720 learn a new language. Maybe brush up on that spanishlingual 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:37.800 little not bilingual? Okay, yeah, maybe brush up on that Spanish. 0:20:37.800 --> 0:20:39.280 From the semester of broad did you study abroad? 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:40.040 I did not? 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:41.639 You speak another language? 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:45.080 No, but I took I don't know, eight years, ten 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:46.720 years of Spanish. So if you throw me into a 0:20:46.720 --> 0:20:49.520 Spanish speaking country, I can I can get along oh cool. 0:20:49.600 --> 0:20:51.760 Well, maybe you can also brush up on some of 0:20:51.800 --> 0:20:54.560 the online services that are available. There are many out there. 0:20:54.560 --> 0:20:56.959 Among them are the language learning platform Babel. We've got 0:20:57.000 --> 0:20:59.760 with us Julie Hansen. She's US CEO of Babel. It's 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:01.919 avidly held company and it's a role that she's had 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:04.800 since twenty seventeen. Julie also we should notice the former 0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:07.960 COO and president at Business Insider. She was there when 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:10.320 Actual Springer bought BI in a deal that valued the 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:12.399 company for four hundred and fifty million dollars back in 0:21:12.440 --> 0:21:15.400 twenty fifteen. Julie joins us on Zoom from New York. Julie, 0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:16.840 good to have you with us this afternoon. How are 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:18.520 you good. 0:21:18.600 --> 0:21:20.159 Thanks Tim, Thanks Carol, thanks for having me. 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:22.800 Yeah, it's good to have you with us. Talk to 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:24.280 us a little bit about the growth that you've seen 0:21:24.280 --> 0:21:26.040 on the platform, because I got to tell you there 0:21:26.080 --> 0:21:28.640 is no shortage of places where you can go online 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:29.600 to learn languages. 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:34.800 True, but we've seen I mean, Babbel was the originator 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:38.480 of the category of online language learning some seventeen years 0:21:38.480 --> 0:21:42.480 ago when it was founded in Germany, and we've seen 0:21:42.520 --> 0:21:45.760 double digit growth. Growth really boomed during the pandemic, but 0:21:45.800 --> 0:21:49.080 then it stayed at very elevated double digit rates ever since, 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:52.120 and we've been able to sustain that growth. And part 0:21:52.160 --> 0:21:54.960 of what drives it is what you said at the 0:21:55.000 --> 0:22:00.000 top of the program that you know, multi language family 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:03.320 are growing in this country, but it's also just become 0:22:03.920 --> 0:22:05.840 something that's somehow. 0:22:05.520 --> 0:22:08.560 More appealing to do in our culture, and we're benefiting 0:22:08.560 --> 0:22:08.840 from that. 0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:11.199 So Jilly, wait, help me out here. You said obviously 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:14.440 makes sense. Right, a boom during the pandemic, right, people 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:16.840 are at home. They wanted to learn to knit, learn 0:22:16.920 --> 0:22:19.240 to make sour dough bread, and learn to speak another language. 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:21.800 Like that's what it was about and stay healthy, no 0:22:21.800 --> 0:22:24.360 doubt about that during the pandemic. But you've held on 0:22:24.440 --> 0:22:30.040 to those levels of growth as well as subscribers give us. 0:22:30.320 --> 0:22:33.280 Are you saying that you've maintained those levels in the gains. 0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:37.280