Mark Okrent: The Signs Along the Highway: How a Weekend in Galilee Revealed the Real Israel
Every road trip in Israel offers a journey through history, but a recent getaway with my wife reminded me that it can also provide a window into the country’s dynamic, unfolding present.
Our destination was the tranquil Hotel Gomeh, nestled on the northwestern shores of the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). On our way up, our route took us through Nof Hagalil, the bustling Galilean city formerly known as Upper Nazareth. As we wound through the city, it was impossible not to notice that Nof Hagalil was undergoing a massive real estate boom. Towering cranes punctuated the skyline, and sprawling construction zones lined the roads. What caught my eye, however, were the massive corporate signs proudly displayed in bold letters at almost every major project site: “BST”.
I consider myself well-versed in the Israeli corporate landscape, yet this acronym was entirely new to me. I made a mental note to look it up, but the standard distractions of a beautiful vacation quickly took over.
Two days later, the acronym returned to find us. As my wife and I were checking out of the Hotel Gomeh, I noticed a large, familiar sign erected in the lobby bearing those same three letters: BST. Moments later, the hotel’s driveway came alive as a fleet of roughly ten charter buses pulled up. Hundreds of enthusiastic men and women poured into the hotel, arriving for what was clearly a massive, multi-day company retreat. Seeing the sheer scale of the crowd, my curiosity was reignited. Who exactly was BST?
From a Small Contractor to an Empire: The BST Story
When I finally looked up the company, the history I uncovered was utterly fascinating.
Founded in 1972 by the late Badi Tannous, a Christian Arab entrepreneur, BST Group began its journey over 50 years ago as a modest, independent building contractor. Through decades of meticulous execution and a reputation for uncompromising engineering standards, this family-owned business transformed into one of the most powerful forces in the Israeli real estate, development, and construction sectors.
Today, BST Group is consistently ranked among the top tier of Israeli enterprise. The corporate structure has expanded into specialized subsidiaries, including BST Development (large-scale entrepreneurship), BST Construction (complex engineering execution), BST BuildUP (high-end fit-outs and office completions), and BST Global (international investments). Showing the ultimate vote of confidence from mainstream Israeli finance, the institutional giant Phoenix Group acquired a 20% stake in the company in 2022, injecting further capital to propel its growth.
Shaping the Horizons of Israel and Abroad
For a company I had only just discovered, I quickly realized I had been looking at their work for years. BST is responsible for some of the most iconic, postcard-defining skyscrapers and complexes in the country:
- The Sammy Ofer Stadium (Haifa): BST was the power behind constructing this world-class, 30,000-seat multi-purpose sports arena. Renowned for its international UEFA Category 4 rating, gold-shingled roof, and complex acoustics, it stands as an architectural marvel at the southern gateway to Haifa.
- The Ofer Mall / Rehovot Shopping Mall: Demonstrating their vast footprint in commercial construction, BST built this massive, bustling retail hub in the heart of Rehovot, which serves as a major economic and community anchor for the entire region.
- The Azrieli Town Towers (Tel Aviv): BST executed this massive, award-winning project right in the heart of Tel Aviv’s Ayalon highway corridor, building both the 36-story office skyscraper and the 51-story luxury residential tower.
- The Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank Campus (Lod): A massive corporate mega-campus encompassing over 46,000 square meters of above-ground space to house one of Israel’s largest financial institutions.
- High-Tech and Commercial Hubs: From the innovative Matam Towers East tech campus in Haifa to the HYP Tower in Bnei Brak and major shopping complexes like the Ofer Mall in Rehovot, BST’s footprint is everywhere.
- International Expansion: BST’s ambitions stretch far beyond Israel’s borders. Through its global branches, the company manages real estate investments and construction initiatives internationally, including a massive joint venture managing multifamily housing complexes across Canada and residential developments in the United Kingdom.
Leadership and a Shared Workforce
At its heart, BST remains guided by its founding family. Following Badi Tannous’s passing, leadership passed to his sons. Today, Elias Tannous serves as the CEO of the entire BST Group, while his brothers Alaa Tannous (CEO of BST Global) and Waseem Tannous (VP of Assets) command vital arms of the empire.
They manage the group alongside prominent Jewish-Israeli business leaders, such as Group Chairman Rafi Bisker and Deputy CEO Eran Konfino, exemplifying corporate partnership at the highest level.
The hundreds of employees we saw filling the lobby of the Hotel Gomeh represent the true fabric of the company. BST employs thousands of professionals nationwide – engineers, architects, project managers, and administrators. Strikingly, its workforce is a beautifully integrated mosaic of Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews working shoulder-to-shoulder, from top-tier executive boardrooms to active construction sites.
A Powerful Reflection: Constructing Truth Over Rhetoric
Watching those ten buses unload hundreds of laughing, mingling employees at our hotel left a profound impression on me.
In university auditoriums, international human rights forums, and Western media headlines, a loud and aggressive campaign constantly tries to paint Israel as an “apartheid state.” This dark, malicious caricature portrays a society defined by systematic separation, absolute exclusion, and the total subjugation of its Arab minority.
Yet, sitting in a hotel lobby on the Kinneret, the reality on the ground entirely dismantled the rhetoric.
BST Group is living, undeniable proof of what is actually possible in the State of Israel. Here is an economic empire started by Israeli Arabs, still majority-owned and led by Israeli Arabs, that shapes the very skyline of Tel Aviv, builds the headquarters of major Israeli banks, and partners with mainstream Jewish institutional funds. It is a company where Arab executives manage Jewish employees, and where Jews and Arabs celebrate corporate milestones together as equals.
Apartheid relies on separation and systemic barriers. The story of BST is the exact opposite: it is a story of integration, shared success, and mutual prosperity. As my wife and I drove home, leaving the Kinneret behind, I looked at the “BST” signs in Nof Hagalil with an entirely new perspective. They are not just signs of a construction company; they are the scaffolding of a shared, thriving reality that the world so desperately needs to see.
