Dr. Shmuel Harlap, one of Israel’s most prominent business figures, has died at the age of 82. Harlap served, among other roles, as chairman of Colmobil, Israel’s largest vehicle importer.
According to a statement issued to the media, “His story is exceptional in the Israeli business landscape because of the combination of academia and philosophy, business management, groundbreaking technology investments, writing on social and economic issues and his life as a marathon runner and philanthropist. Harlap was born in 1944, earned a doctorate in philosophy from Harvard University and held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he also taught in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s, he joined the leadership of the family business and, as active chairman, led Colmobil’s development.”
Shmuel Harlap
(Photo: Tomi Harpaz)
Colmobil was owned by his father, Amichai, who died in 1975. Harlap became chairman of the company in 1982, while his brother Yoav held a minority stake that he sought to sell to institutional investors about a year and a half ago. In 1988, the company, which until then had imported Mercedes vehicles, began importing Mitsubishi cars and later South Korea’s Hyundai. It gradually became Israel’s largest vehicle importer.
Harlap invested in Mobileye and benefited from its sale to Intel. He was also extensively involved in philanthropy. According to the statement, “In 2025, the couple donated $10 million to the Weizmann Institute of Science following the severe damage caused to the institute by Iranian missile strikes. The donation was intended to help restore the campus, laboratories and research activity.”
“Shortly afterward, Anat and Shmuel Harlap announced a donation of about 600 million shekels to Beilinson Hospital. It was the largest donation ever made to Israel’s health care system at the time. The funds are intended for the construction of a new heart and brain medicine center, to be called ‘Tower of Hope.’”
In an interview with Calcalist a few days later, Harlap said: “What revolution will I miss? The one that will make it possible to live to 120 instead of 80, as we do today.”
Harlap described himself as center-left politically, though he also expressed a degree of appreciation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Over the years, Harlap published dozens of articles and opinion columns in the Israeli media on economic, social, political and technological issues. He maintained a strict exercise routine and enjoyed competitive sports. He took part in three full marathons, the first in New York at age 60. He also competed in the European indoor rowing championships.”
Harlap is survived by his wife, two children and seven grandchildren.