Category: Finance

As we recently celebrated Rosh Hashanah, it’s worth highlighting a few bright spots in Israel’s economy—many surprisingly strong—that offer some optimism amid the current challenges. Much of Israel’s economic success is often underreported, even as we face the ongoing burdens of war. Last Friday, Moody’s downgraded Israel’s internal shekel-based credit rating and its external foreign […]

Moody announced on Friday that it was downgrading Israel’s credit rating from A2 to Baa1 with a negative outlook. This is the second time they had downgraded Israel’s credit rating during the war, with the previous time being in February when it was downgraded from A1 to A2. Israel has been undergoing serious financial stress […]

The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) sold nearly £80 million of Israeli assets after increasing pressure from its members, according to a Financial Times report on Thursday. The USS is the largest private pension fund in the UK, worth around £80 billion, and has more than 500,000 members. The FT reported that USS has sold off assets, including […]

In 2023, more Israelis left the country for extended periods and did not return, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported the last week of September. Most of those who left were men, predominantly single, and between the ages of 25 and 44. Those who have already left or are planning to do so might […]

OpenAI’s new financing round is expected to come in the form of convertible notes, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, who said its $150 billion valuation will be contingent on whether the ChatGPT-maker can upend its corporate structure and remove a profit cap for investors. The details of the conditions of the […]

Customer-centricity requires thoughtful research and planning to understand people’s wants, needs, and realities when it comes to their financial lives and beyond. Sistema.bio in India uses a customer-centric approach to offer rural women biodigesters at affordable prices using carbon credits.   Meeting women’s financial needs and specific challenges is especially important Customer-centricity is particularly crucial […]

As olim (new immigrants) and others know, getting money into Israel isn’t easy. All the Israeli banks check that the money is clean and not tainted by crime, terrorism, or tax evasion. The onus is on the bank customer to prove that the money is clean. The Haifa District Court has now made things even […]

Whether the Western governments like it or not, Operation Swords of Iron will only end when the Israeli evacuees from the North and South feel safe to return to their homes. There are about 250,000 such evacuees. How can peace realistically be achieved? What’s needed is a Hamas bypass operation. Let their leaders wither underground. […]

The High Holy Days, traditionally a time of deep reflection, repentance, and renewal, take on even greater significance in a post-October 7 world. The devastating atrocities nearly a year ago brought about an international shift in the way that the Jewish people relate to each other and the State of Israel. This year, our prayers […]