"We asked the workers to give up 25 percent of their salaries. Imagine! We asked the industrialists to freeze all costs, no matter what the inflation is"

Shimon Peres’s statement highlights the significant sacrifices demanded from two crucial sectors of society during a period of economic crisis: workers and industrialists. When Peres describes asking workers to relinquish a quarter of their salaries, he underscores the magnitude of the burden placed on ordinary people. For many, a 25 percent reduction in income is not simply a cut, but a hardship that directly affects their livelihoods, ability to support families, and quality of life. The exclamation “Imagine!” communicates both disbelief at the scale of this request and an acknowledgment of the real suffering it entails.

Turning to the industrialists, Peres notes the demand for them to freeze all costs despite ongoing inflation. In a high-inflation environment, prices for raw materials, logistics, and other inputs invariably climb. Freezing costs under such conditions means that industrialists must absorb escalating expenses without passing them on to consumers or making adjustments elsewhere. This could jeopardize company profitability, stifle investment, and threaten the viability of businesses already under financial strain.

Together, these two requests illustrate an era of shared sacrifice, where both labor and capital are called upon to contribute to national recovery or stability. The comparison also tacitly reveals the government’s recognition of hardship across the socioeconomic spectrum, not singling out one class but attempting to balance the pain of austerity measures between different groups. There is an implicit tension in the equivalence, however; for a wage earner, losing a quarter of their income is immediate and personal, while for industrialists, cost constraints impact business strategy and long-term sustainability rather than daily existence.

Peres’s commentary reflects the complexity of decision-making in times of crisis. Leaders must ask citizens to endure hardships for the greater good, while simultaneously attempting to distribute the burden as fairly as possible. The statement also demonstrates empathy and a realistic grasp of the consequences of policy, invoking a sense of collective challenge and the need for national solidarity.