Israeli Foreign Ministry to Fund 350,000 Shekel Pro-Israel Conference at Simon Falic's Miami Residence

The Israeli Foreign Ministry plans to allocate 350,000 shekels without a tender to finance a pro-Israel conference organized by the newspaper "B'Sheva" in Florida. According to a document published by the ministry on the government procurement website, the exclusive opening event will take place in January on the lawn of Simon Falic's Miami home. Falic is a billionaire close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently hosted Netanyahu at his Jerusalem residence at the start of the war. The main conference will be held the following day at the "Beit Moshe" community synagogue in Miami.

The payment is expected to be made to the nonprofit "Israel Empowered," which acts as the operational arm of the newspaper for organizing the event. The funds will cover venue rental, technical equipment, and food and beverage expenses. Dan Orin, head of the Civil Diplomacy Department at the Foreign Ministry, signed the legal opinion justifying the non-competitive contract, stating that "Israel Empowered" is the sole organizer capable of producing such a large-scale pro-Israel conference in cooperation with Miami's Jewish communities.

The ministry explained the expenditure as part of its desire to be a "central partner" in the event to promote Israeli advocacy messages and strengthen ties with the Jewish community amid ongoing war and rising antisemitism. The Falic family's wealth, estimated in the billions, derives from their global duty-free business operating 200 locations worldwide. They also own several Israeli businesses, including Psagot Winery, Pietro Hecht Furniture, Panko bakery, and Susya dairies. The Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.