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Rating agency S&P Global has issued an unusual statement highlighting the increased risk posed by the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The agency warns that the potential for regional escalation presents a significant threat to Israel's security, economy, and social stability

The economic emergency plan formulated by senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, as a temporary substitute for the failure to prepare an orderly state budget for 2025, does not include tax increases and the main point will be an almost complete freeze on updating payments to citizens, even though the rise in inflation this year is expected to be higher than 3% this year

Senior officials in Israel’s economy, after meeting with economists from Standard & Poor’s and Moody's, have raised concerns that an all-out war with Hezbollah—and potentially Iran—could lead to an immediate downgrade of Israel’s credit rating. These meetings highlighted the rating agencies' apprehension about the continued conflict in Gaza and along the Lebanese border and the increasing strain on Israel’s fiscal stability

The Israel Innovation Authority published its annual report today, summarizing the state of the country's high-tech sector since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War on October 7. The report highlights concerning trends, including a slowdown in recruitment, changes in the industry’s workforce composition, and declining attractiveness to foreign investors

In a significant move, the international credit rating agency Moody's announced this evening that it has downgraded the credit rating of the Israeli government from A2 to BAA1. This two-level drop reflects growing concerns over geopolitical risks, marking the lowest rating Israel has ever received. The downgrade aligns Israel's rating with Kazakhstan, Peru, Andorra, Thailand, Bulgaria, Uruguay, and Spain

Starting at midnight between Monday and Tuesday, the price of 95 octane gasoline in self-service stations will decrease by 13 shekels, bringing it to NIS 7.16 per liter (including VAT). This marks the third consecutive decline since August

In a significant financial move, S&P Global Ratings announced on Wednesday night that it has downgraded Israel's credit rating from A+ to A, now accompanied by a negative outlook. This change suggests that further downgrades could occur in the near future

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the consumer price index (CPI) for October rose by 0.5% compared to the previous month. Still, annual inflation held steady at 3.5%, the same rate as during the corresponding period last year. Despite the monthly increase, the overall inflation rate remains within the government’s target range, though it continues to challenge economic policymakers

The Likud party has proposed a new law to establish a political investigation committee to probe the October 7 massacre, which will replace the state investigation committee as outlined in existing legislation. The proposed law stipulates that the events surrounding the massacre cannot be investigated by any other means than those set forth within this bill, limiting investigative channels exclusively to the committee's framework

In a move that signals ongoing economic adjustments, the Israeli government has approved a second increase to the 2025 state budget deficit in less than a month. The revised deficit for next year’s budget has been set at 4.4%, up from the previously approved 4.3%, amounting to an additional 80 billion shekels. The decision to raise the deficit was almost unanimous, with the sole exception being Minister Gila Gamliel, who voiced her opposition