Israel’s economy contracted at an annualized rate of 3.3% in the first quarter of 2026, reversing a downwardly revised 2.9% growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. It was the first contraction in the economy since the second quarter of 2025, due to the impact of the war with Iran. Consumer spending dropped 4.7%, government…
A major diplomatic breakthrough has triggered widespread relief across the Middle East today, as Germany formally calls for a permanent and reliable Strait of Hormuz reopening. The strategic waterway, which serves as the central artery for transcontinental energy transport and maritime trade, has been a focus of high regional tension. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s decisive appeal…
A new Israel-focused private equity firm, David Group Capital Management Ltd., has launched in Herzliya with plans to invest in and scale mature Israeli and Israel-related companies. The firm, founded by Stella Cohen and chaired by former Goldman Sachs partner Raanan Agus, said it would focus on companies that are Israeli-founded or led, have significant…
A Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after being stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than two months due to the US-Iran war, LSEG and Kpler ship-tracking data showed. The very large crude carrier Yuan Hua Hu was seen heading to eastern China’s…
For years, Israel’s high-tech industry has been concentrated in the center. Anyone looking to build a company, stay close to capital, talent, and customers knew exactly where to go. But the deep tech revolution is changing the rules of the game. Quantum, defense tech, energy, and advanced hardware are not born in a café in…
Israeli Deputy Minister Sharren Haskel says relations between Israel and Greece are “flourishing” following a three-day visit to Athens focused on diplomacy and bilateral economic affairs. During the visit, Haskel met senior Greek officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Papadopoulou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy Harry Theoharis, and alternate Minister…
Israeli opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have united in an attempt to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and lead Israel’s next government. But while they have lots to criticise Netanyahu about, they have few qualms with his wars in Gaza and the rest of the region. Those wars – in particular the genocide…
.How U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict is rewiring global trade, weakening China’s leverage, testing Nigeria’s economic resilience The escalating confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has transitioned from a regional geopolitical dispute into a systemic global economic disruption, redefining the architecture of trade, energy security, and industrial production. What initially emerged as targeted strikes against Iranian…
Israel appointed Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) CEO Boaz Levy as chairman of the company’s board of directors, marking the first time a serving chief executive of an Israeli government-owned company has also been named chairman of the same company. Defense Minister Israel Katz and Minister in charge of the Government Companies Authority Dudi Amsalem signed…
May 16, 2026 ITS Logistics, a subsidiary of Echo Global Logistics, published its May outlook in the ITS Logistics Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index. The report indicates heightened conditions in the Atlantic and Gulf port zones, alongside difficulties with outbound capacity and container handling at major West Coast terminals. Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Reshape Trade Flows…
