Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry: There is no logical justification for negotiating with a party that does not believe negotiations should be on an equal footing, boasts of its military aggression against Iran, and clearly seeks to impose its dictates on us
Iranian Foreign Ministry: There are currently no talks between Iran and the United States
Grossi, in his report to the IAEA Board of Governors: More work needs to be done in accordance with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements
Grossi, in his report to the IAEA Board of Governors: There has been some progress, and we have returned to Iran and conducted more than 12 inspections
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi: Efforts and consultations with Iran are ongoing in an effort to restore normal inspection operations
Palestinian sources to Al Mayadeen: Meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas' Khalil al-Hayya in Ankara canceled under Israeli pressure
A UNIFIL spokesperson to RIA Novosti: 'Israel' is building a new concrete wall that crosses the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, unlike the previous wall
A UNIFIL spokesperson to RIA Novosti: We have recorded 7,300 Israeli airspace violations since the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon
A UNIFIL spokesperson to RIA Novosti: UNIFIL will submit its report tomorrow to the Security Council on progress in implementing Resolution 1701, including all violations of the ceasefire agreement
A UNIFIL spokesperson to RIA Novosti: The Israeli army must not carry out any acts of aggression or attacks targeting peacekeeping forces

Israeli economy threatened with additional burdens amid war on Gaza

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The New York Times
  • 20 Oct 2023 20:05
4 Min Read

The Bank of "Israel", led by Governor Amir Yaron, has already allocated $30 billion in foreign exchange to bolster the shekel, which has reached an eight-year low.

  • x
  • A billboard welcoming US President Joe Biden who arrived on a visit to Palestine to express solidarity with
    A billboard welcoming US President Joe Biden who arrived on a visit to Palestine to express solidarity with "Israel", Oct. 18, 2023 (AP)

Writer Liz Alderman wrote in an article for The New York Times that the current war on Gaza is threatening to bring about widespread "regional instability", with potentially severe economic consequences alongside the already devastating human toll.

"Israel's" economy, which was considered "robust and entrepreneurial" until recently according to Alderman, is now faced with serious challenges.

The Palestinian economy was in a precarious state even before "Israel" imposed a siege on Gaza in response to the October 7th operation, leading to what the World Health Organization termed a "humanitarian catastrophe."

The IMF's assessment this year highlighted that "Israel's" blockade of Gaza and increased restrictions on the West Bank were severely detrimental to economic growth and private sector development.

Read more: Israeli economy continues to deteriorate as Al-Aqsa Flood proceeds

On another note, the mobilization of up to 360,000 Israeli reservists for military service has caused parts of the economy to come to a standstill.

The technology industry, which has been a key driver of growth, has experienced a sudden slowdown, and production at a major offshore natural gas field has been halted. To prevent the Israeli shekel from collapsing, the central bank has committed billions of dollars.

"Israel's" economy was once hailed as the fourth-best-performing in the OECD. The start-up sector attracted substantial foreign investments, and the 2020 Abraham Accords held the promise of increased economic growth. 

But this year saw a stumble in the economy due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to curtail the judiciary's powers. This move prompted significant public protests, with many tech leaders threatening to leave.

The judicial overhaul also resulted in a steep 60 percent drop in foreign investment, contributing to a devaluation of the shekel, volatile fluctuations in the Israeli stock market, and challenging economic conditions marked by high-interest rates, rising inflation, and concerns about a global economic slowdown.

Read more: Fighters of the Resistance Axis will go down in history: PFLP

Related News

Arab Conference warns: UN Gaza resolution purely 'Western-Zionist'

Ansar Allah condemn UN sanctions on Yemen, reject Gaza US-led resol.

This week, two credit rating agencies issued warnings about the potential downgrade of "Israel's" debt. On Friday, Moody's described the current conflict as more severe than previous instances of violence, which could divert resources in the economy, reduce investment, and erode confidence.

Fitch, on Tuesday, raised concerns about an increased risk of the conflict expanding into large-scale, prolonged military confrontations with multiple actors, a stark contrast to its assessment of "Israel's" strong economic growth just six months ago. A rating downgrade might result in higher interest rates for "Israel's" borrowing.

However, Goldman Sachs noted on Monday that, for the time being, the risks to "Israel's" financial and economic stability seemed lower than during previous major conflicts. They attributed this to "Israel's" stronger overall finances and its substantial foreign exchange reserves, which amount to around 40% of the country's GDP.

The Bank of "Israel", led by Governor Amir Yaron, has already allocated $30 billion in foreign exchange to bolster the shekel, which has reached an eight-year low.

The POS Netanyahu and his criminal ZIONIST cronies have been getting their money out of Israel in advance of their planned genocide of the Palestinians.

This HUGE drop in Shekel v $ indicates big outflows from Israel since Jan 1 2022-today. pic.twitter.com/IPVkz9kpfX

— Dr.SHIVA Ayyadurai, MIT PhD. Inventor of Email (@va_shiva) October 19, 2023

Read more: Mass rallies, protests around the world in support of Palestine, Gaza

On the other hand, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have long suffered economic hardship, and the recent siege of Gaza has only worsened their plight.

The IMF's annual review in August highlighted the significant economic challenges faced by the Palestinian people, including persistent poverty and high unemployment.

"Israel's" siege of Gaza following the Hamas operation on October 7th has resulted in severe infrastructure damage, critical shortages of food, water, gasoline, and other essentials, and the displacement of approximately half of Gaza's over two million residents.

There is concern that an expansion of the conflict to include Hamas's ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, could exacerbate regional hardships.

Read more: US 'monstrous disregard for Palestinian lives': Voices from within

Various Israeli sectors, including tourism and transportation, have already been significantly affected, and even tech companies are facing disruptions. Natural gas investments in the region may also suffer, impacting "Israel's" plans to become a gas export hub.

"Israel's" central bank governor expressed optimism about the regime's ability to recover from difficult periods. But the presence of numerous reserve soldiers on the front lines and civilians taking shelter due to rocket attacks will undoubtedly impact economic activity, he says. 

  • war on Gaza
  • shekel
  • Israeli economy

Most Read

Russia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UN states overwhelmingly back Russia's anti-Nazism resolution

  • Politics
  • 14 Nov 2025
US withdrew nearly $900 million from its IMF reserves, as Argentina faced debt payments.

US withdrew nearly $900mln from IMF as Argentina faced debt payment

  • US & Canada
  • 13 Nov 2025
Investigations revealed a Turkish doctor and an Israeli were responsible for sourcing clientele for organs, who paid in excess of $100,000 for transplants. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

The global Zionist organ trafficking conspiracy

  • Palestine
  • 15 Nov 2025
The Zionist regime is penetrating more deeply in Taiwan than before, as it is in very many places in South and East Asia. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Zionists target Taiwan in the push for a Zionist empire

  • Opinion
  • 12 Nov 2025

Coverage

All
In Five

Read Next

All
A squadron of US Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft flies over as President Donald Trump greets Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the White House, Wednesday, September 3, 2025, in Washington (AP)
Politics

Trump says to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, to go tougher on Venezuela

Israeli soldiers work on their tanks at a gathering point near the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Saturday, October 11, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Report: Foreigners form over half of Israeli 'lone soldiers'

Families watch planes on the tarmac at Johannesburg's OR Tambo's airport, Monday Nov. 29, 2021. (AP)
Politics

UN urges probe into Palestinians forced from Gaza to South Africa

French UN peacekeepers patrol the Lebanese-Israeli border in the village of Houla, southern Lebanon, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UNIFIL says informed 'Israel' of patrol it fired at in South Lebanon

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS