Stagnant economic growth, high unemployment, and a sharp decline in donor aid to Palestine create a volatile mix that
breeds instability in the region. This situation is bad for Palestinians and dangerous for Israel. A bright spot in the otherwise grim Palestinian economic horizon is the technology ecosystem that has begun to develop in recent years. The technology sector, which already accounts for some 6% of Palestinian GDP, can be the engine to drive economic growth in Palestine, as it has been in neighboring Israel, with similar positive impacts. This is important both for Palestine and for Israel – irrespective of political developments.
Yadin Kaufmann has been involved in early-stage venture capital investments in Israel since 1987,
through Athena, the first Israel-focused venture fund, and Veritas Venture Partners, which he cofounded in 1990. In 2011, Yadin co-founded Sadara Ventures, the first fund targeting investments in Palestinian technology companies. Most recently, Yadin founded and is Chairman of the Palestinian Internship Program, a non-profit organization that brings recent Palestinian university graduates for three-month internships at tech and finance companies in Israel. Yadin received his B.A. from Princeton, M.A. from Harvard, and J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. Foreign Policy named Yadin to the list of 100 “Leading Global Thinkers” in 2017. Yadin lives in Israel, but is a Charlestonian by marriage: his wife Lori Banov Kaufmann is the daughter of Dr. Charles and Nancy Banov.
Co-sponsored by Academic Affairs and the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs
Sponsor: Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program