1 View gallery <\/p>\n
![\"\u05d0\u05e1\u05e3](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SygWvNiTFZl_0_38_1063_798_0_x-large.jpg\" "\\"Assaf")
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Assaf Rappaport. <\/p>\n
(Photo: Omer Hacohen)<\/p>\n
The comments came at a time of growing anxiety across Israel\u2019s tech sector, where companies are increasingly restructuring around AI technologies and cutting jobs. Asked about the wave of layoffs hitting the industry, including at companies such as Wix, Rappaport argued that AI represents more opportunity than threat for companies willing to adapt.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike any technological revolution, there are many changes, but also many opportunities,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is true for the whole world, and for Wix it is more of an opportunity than a risk. Companies that don\u2019t know how to change will close, but new ones will emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, he warned that Israel risks falling behind in artificial intelligence despite its dominance in cybersecurity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael is a bit behind on the subject of AI, unlike in cyber where we are at the global forefront,\u201d Rappaport said. \u201cI think academia in Israel should lead the issue of artificial intelligence, and they should stop bashing universities. Cyber, the Mossad and 8200 are at the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rappaport, who generally avoids media appearances, also addressed his involvement in the acquisition of Channel 13, which he is leading together with a group of investors, including the Kibbutz Movement.<\/p>\n
Asked about his intentions for the broadcaster, he framed the move less as a business investment and more as an effort to preserve independent media.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what I want, the purchase is a donation,\u201d he said. \u201cWe won\u2019t see any fruit from it. The only fruit is to allow free and independent media from any government or any regime, or interested parties that own media outlets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will recruit the best people and build the best news company in Israel, which will be for the government or against the government when necessary, depending on the situation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Rappaport also said the investor group intends to contribute operational and technological expertise to the broadcaster, not only capital.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, as high-tech people, will help wherever we can, except for money, in the worlds of digital and technology,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it can be managed differently and better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing reports of political pressure surrounding the transaction, Rappaport insisted the acquisition would proceed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are political issues, but the deal will go through,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Kibbutz Movement has invested NIS 10 million in the acquisition and will receive one seat on Channel 13\u2019s board as part of the agreement.<\/p>\n
Rappaport described the partnership as symbolic of a broader alliance between Israel\u2019s traditional institutions and its technology sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first phone call I received when the acquisition was announced was from the Kibbutz Movement,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are many places where we meet with the movement in Zionism, values and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the phone call, the representatives of the movement told me, \u2018We are with you.\u2019 This caused more investors in high-tech to join me. Their contribution is not only in money. There is nothing more Israeli than high-tech connecting with the Kibbutz Movement, and I hope this will not be our only project.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about his next ambition, he replied simply: \u201cI don\u2019t know yet. I have a lot of work at Wiz because I have a great commitment to Google. This is my biggest mission right now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cGoogle should be appreciated for deciding to make its largest investment here during the most difficult time for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470094,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[220,218,219,61,60,80],"class_list":["post-470093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}