LIZ: NUCLEAR EXTORTION.
THAT IS HOW THE U.S. IS
DESCRIBING IRAN'S ENRICHMENT OF
URANIUM IN BREACH OF THE 2015
NUCLEAR DEAL FROM WHICH
PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDREW A YEAR
AGO, SAYING ISRAEL HAS QUOTE,
PUBLISHED INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENTS
LONG CONCEALED BY IRAN
CONCLUSIVELY SHOWING THE IRANIAN
REGIME AND ITS HISTORY OF
PURSUING NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
OTHER SIGNATORIES TO THE IRAN
DEAL ARE STILL TRYING TO SAVE
IT.
FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON SENDING
HIS TOP DIPLOMATIC ADVISER TO
HOLD TALKS IN IRAN TO QUOTE,
PIECE TOGETHER A DE-ESCALATION
STRATEGY.
IRAN SAYING IT WELCOMED FRANCE'S
ROLE IN REDUCING TENSIONS WITH
THE UNITED STATES.
WHATEVER HAPPENS, THE IRAN
CRISIS WILL HAVE A PROFOUND
IMPACT ON THE REGION'S ONLY
DEMOCRACY AND ITS ECONOMY,
ISRAEL.
THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ISRAEL'S
MINISTRY OF FINANCE IS HERE IN A
FOX BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE.
HERE, ISRAEL, A SMALL NATION,
BIG DEMOCRACY, IS HAVING TO DEAL
WITH RUNNING A VERY VIBRANT
ECONOMY WITH ALL OF THIS
TENSION.
HOW IS THAT GOING?
>> I THINK THIS HAS BEEN THE
CASE FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND AS
YOU SAID, AS YOU MENTIONED
BEFORE, OUR PRIME MINISTER, BIBI
NETANYAHU, MANAGED TO STOP THE
IRAN DEAL.
I THINK OUR PRIME MINISTER WILL
BE A VERY, VERY GOOD CONNECTION
WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I THINK
THAT'S AN AREA WHICH THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO SOLVE.
LIZ: WHEN TREASURY DEPARTMENT
HERE IN THE U.S. GETS AHOLD OF
THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO NATIONS
LIKE IRAN OR NORTH KOREA, IT'S
TREASURY THAT PUTS DOWN THE
SANCTIONS, THAT HANDS DOWN THE
SANCTIONS.
>> FOR SURE.
WE HAVE THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT DEALS
WITH THE SANCTION ON IRAN.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN CHANGING AND
WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUT THE
SANCTIONS ON IRAN AS IT WAS
BEFORE.
OF COURSE, IT WILL NEED TO BE
ENHANCED, THEN OUR CABINET,
SECURITY CABINET, WILL SIT DOWN
TOGETHER AND GIVE INSTRUCTIONS
TO THE FINANCE MINISTRY WHICH
SANCTIONS SHOULD BE ENHANCED AND
HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT.
LIZ: ENHANCED IS A NICE WORD FOR
INCREASED.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS INCREASING
THE SANCTIONS ON IRAN.
THERE IS THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
THAT THIS IS THE WAY TO HANDLE
IT, THAT THE IRANIANS ARE NUTS,
THEY WANT TO WIPE US AND ISRAEL
RIGHT OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, SOME SAY THIS
INFLAMES A SITUATION THAT MAY
HAVE BEEN CALMING DOWN.
>> SO AGAIN, THIS IS A THING
WHICH THE PRESIDENT WILL NEED TO
TAKE UP WITH OUR PRIME MINISTER
AND SEE WHAT IS THE POLICY AND
MAKE SURE IT'S ONE POLICY HEADED
BY THE UNITED STATES AND BY
ISRAEL.
AS AN OFFICIAL IN THE FINANCE
MINISTRY, I WOULDN'T WANT TO GO
OUT OF MY JURISDICTION WITH THE
PRIME MINISTER.
LIZ: THERE'S ANOTHER ELECTION.
YOU COULD RUN.
>> NO, I'M A GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL.
I'M A CIVIL CLERK.
I'M NOT THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO
BE RUNNING.
LIZ: MY QUESTION TO YOU IS I
HAVE BEEN TO ISRAEL MULTIPLE
TIMES.
YOU ARE THERE AND YOU SEE INTEL
HAS A PLANT, APPLIED MATERIALS
HAS A PLANT, YOU'VE GOT GOOGLE
THERE.
IT IS SUCH AN INTERESTING AND
MOTIVATED WORK SOCIETY THERE.
HOW DOES THE ECONOMY, BECAUSE
INFLATION IS SO HIGH AND TAXES
ARE HIGH.
>> SO TAXES ARE HIGH, BUT ON THE
OTHER HAND, INVESTMENT IN ISRAEL
HAS BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY, AND
SPECIFICALLY IN THE STARTUP
SECTOR.
WE HAVE MORE STARTUPS PER CAPITA
THAN ANY NATION IN THE WORLD AND
OUR EXPENDITURE, GDP ON RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THE
HIGHEST IN THE WORLD.
MANY, MANY HIGH TECH COMPANIES
COME TO ISRAEL, COME TO SEE THE
KNOWLEDGE, THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT
WE HAVE AND A LOT OF THOSE
TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED
FROM THE ARMY AND TAKEN FROM THE
ARMY INTO THE CIVIL COMPANIES
AND INTO THE CIVIL PRIVATE
SECTOR.
LIZ: NO MATTER WHAT IRAN DOES.
>> YEAH.
THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT ON
WHAT IRAN IS DOING CURRENTLY.
OF COURSE, THE THREAT IS BEING
CAST AND THE PRIME MINISTER IS
VERY, VERY GOOD RELATIONS WITH
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
I THINK WHATEVER WILL BE DONE
WITH IRAN, OUR CABINET TOGETHER
WITH THE COOPERATION AND
COLLABORATION WITH THE UNITED
STATES WILL PROBABLY KNOW HOW TO
DEAL WITH THAT.
WE LEAVE IT TO THEM.
BUT THE ECONOMY IS VERY VERY
VERY -- SO MANY INTERNATIONAL
COMPANIES ARE HEADING THERE,
DOING THEIR RESEARCH, DOING THE
DEVELOPMENT, PUTTING PLANTS IN
ISRAEL AND INVESTING IN ISRAEL.
THEY JUST DID A $15 BILLION DEAL
IN ISRAEL AND THIS IS WHAT IS
AMAZING.
LIZ: TO QUOTE WARREN BUFFETT,
ISRAEL IS A MIRACLE.
>> IT IS.
LIZ: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HE BOUGHT AN ISRAELI COMPANY.
HE LIKES ISRAEL.