Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Gila Gamliel, inaugurated in a ceremony held in the city of Maghar in the Lower Galilee, MEGASPACE – the largest regional and technological space center in the Galilee.

The innovative center in the Druze city was established as part of a national and strategic investment by the Ministry of Innovation and Science, led by Minister Gamliel, focused on promoting scientific and technological education in the northern periphery.

The Space Center, which covers an area of approximately 500 square meters, is a regional hub for experiential and practical learning that combines formal and informal education. The center focuses on space issues, lunar exploration, physics and astronomy, while referring to the major space programs of Israel and the world, such as “Beresheet” and the global ARTEMIS program.

The center is expected to serve thousands of students and residents from the entire regional area, and strengthen the connection between the education system, the community, and the worlds of science and innovation. It is intended to be an educational and experiential beacon for all students of the Kinneret and Emakim cluster and the city of Maghar, and for many families, a wide audience, and visitors from all over the country.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — In light of repeated fires at pirated waste sites in Judea and Samaria, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection reiterates its warning that this is an environmental and health hazard that directly affects Israeli residents and calls for immediate approval of the budget required to implement the National Strategic Plan for Eradicating Waste Hazards and Cross-Border Fires.

After abnormal pollution levels were measured in Shoham and in the settlements along the seam line, the Minister of Environmental Protection today (12/16) made an urgent appeal to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense Bezalel Smotrich, demanding that they activate all of their powers to immediately treat the burning sites and prevent re-ignition. The appeal presented current monitoring data indicating severe air pollution and significant exposure of residents to hazards originating from waste fires in the Judea and Samaria territories.

The ministry continues to implement in the field the full range of immediate actions that were approved, amounting to approximately 38.5 million Shekels ($11.8 million), including: strengthening enforcement in the field, increasing air quality monitoring measures, site restoration, and rapid response in cooperation with enforcement agencies and fire departments. Although these actions help reduce the immediate damage, they are not a substitute for the full implementation of the long-term plan.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will tighten the conditions for receiving a recommendation for a building permit for kennels to prevent the establishment of dog breeding houses in agricultural areas.

In recent years, a serious phenomenon of the establishment of commercial facilities that encourage the massive and uncontrolled breeding of dogs, under the definition of “kennels”, has been expanding. This industry, also known as “puppy mills” or “dog factories”, is designed to generate financial profit at the expense of animals and the public.

As part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s activities to protect animal welfare and as an additional step to eradicate the phenomenon, the ministry will tighten the conditions for obtaining a building permit for kennels, in order to prevent kennels for commercial breeding from receiving a permit.

In addition to the existing procedures for obtaining a building permit for agricultural structures, from now on every application for the establishment of a kennel will be required to present additional documents and strict conditions. Among other things, approval from a veterinarian accompanying the kennel will be required, a declaration by the applicant that no commercial breeding will take place there, as well as a comprehensive business plan that includes details about the nature of the activity, a broad industry overview, and financial reports.

The Ministry said that through these requirements, it will “ensure that only kennels that operate for the benefit of animal welfare and essential activities will be approved, and that the possibility of establishing dog factories in agricultural areas will be effectively prevented.”

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Authority for the Advancement of Women said that, in light of the success of the “Fighting Violence Against Women” program implemented in local authorities, and in light of the ongoing state of emergency over the past two years, the Authority, in professional and financial cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, worked to launch a second cycle of the program.

The program consists of a basket of activities aimed at strengthening social services in the fight against violence against women and strengthening the personal and community resilience of residents of the local authority, and in particular women, by promoting awareness-raising activities, training courses and guidance in the field of preventing violence against women and personal empowerment.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority is updating its policy regarding the stay of Ukrainian citizens in Israel and announces that, given the passage of time and the experience gained, no enforcement actions will be taken against the employment of Ukrainian citizens, provided that 90 days have passed since their entry into Israel and that they hold a Ukrainian passport.

It is clarified that the employer is responsible for verifying that the employee indeed holds a Ukrainian passport and that he or she has been staying in Israel for more than 90 days.

In addition, the Minister of the Interior has decided to extend the licenses for a B/2 (tourist) visit to Israel for Ukrainian citizens who were legally in Israel on the day the war began or who entered after it began.

At the end of this period, the policy will be re-examined in accordance with the latest data.

This policy is valid until 31.03.26 or until the end of the war in Ukraine and the possibility of returning to it, whichever comes first.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Nitzanim activities opened throughout Israel during the Hanukkah school vacation for approximately 749,000 students from kindergarten to third grade: 414,000 kindergarten children and 335,000 students in grades 1-3.

The activity was launched as a series and successfully at all activity centers across the country, with early preparation and ongoing response to needs that arose from the field.

During the five full days of activity, children will be able to participate in educational enrichment activities that include creativity, literature, poetry and movement.

In the Arab sector, these frameworks will operate during the winter break from December 24 to January 8.

The Nitzanim Vacation Program is designed to provide a continuous, high-quality, and safe educational framework for Israeli children during school vacations, and to assist parents in combining family life and work.

During the Hanukkah vacation, Ministry of Education teams will continue to closely monitor the program’s implementation and provide professional assistance as needed.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics released the main data from the Labor Force Survey for November 2025:

Seasonally adjusted data for November 2025:
In November 2025 (compared to October 2025, among those aged 15 and over):

Percentage of the labor force – 63.1% (62.8% in October).

Employment rate (percentage of employed people out of the total population) – 61.1% (60.9% in October).

Percentage of unemployed in the labor force – 3.1% (3.0% in October).

Original data for November 2025:
In November 2025 (compared to October 2025, among those aged 15 and over):

Percentage of the labor force – 62.7% (62.4% in October).

Employment rate (percentage of employed people out of the total population) – 60.8% (60.4% in October).

Percentage of unemployed in the labor force – 3.1% (3.2% in October).

Employment rate excluding those temporarily absent from work all week for economic reasons – 60.6% (60.2% in October).

Percentage of those temporarily absent from work all week by selected reasons: economic reasons – 7.0% (2.5% in October), military reserve duty – 13.8% (5.9% in October), other – 1.0% (0.5% in October).

Percentage of men temporarily absent from work all week by selected reasons: economic reasons – 9.5% (4.1% in October), military reserve duty – 31.0% (12.3% in October), other – 1.7% (1.0% in October).

Percentage of women temporarily absent from work all week by selected reasons: economic reasons – 5.1% (1.3% in October), military reserve duty – there were none due to the Gaza ceasefire (1.1% in October), other – there were none (unchanged from the previous month).

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Bank of Israel reported that the monthly Index of Economic Activity was increased by 0.5% in November, following a slight decline in October. The index this month reflects the average monthly growth estimate from September to November.

The Index was positively influenced by data on goods exports in September to November, imports of consumption goods and production inputs in November, labor market data regarding the number of workers, wages, and job vacancies in September and October, indirect taxes in October and November, and the tel aviv stock Exchange stock index and the Nasdaq index in September to November, said the Bank.

The second estimate of actual GDP in the third quarter, which was published this week, also contributed to the increase in the index. In contrast, revenue data in the trade and services industries, industrial production data in mixed-high technology and in construction inputs, and gasoline consumption data in September moderated the increase in the index.

The pace of increase of the index is higher than the long-term growth trend (about 0.3%).

The Index for the past two months was revised downward with the completion of data that were previously missing, and also due to the second estimate of actual GDP data for the third quarter, which was revised downward.

The monthly Index of Economic Activity reflects the three-month average of the estimated monthly growth of GDP. The estimate is based on a model developed at the Bank of Israel.

Jerusalem, 17 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The following are the end of day exchange rates as set by the Bank of Israel Wednesday, December 17, 2025:
(Units are given in the foreign currency and the rate is given in its value in Shekels)

Currency | Unit | Rate (NIS) | Daily Change (against the Shekel)
US Dollar | 1 | 3.2230 | +0.031%
GB Pound | 1 | 4.2982 | ‎-0.663%
Japanese Yen | 100 | 2.0723 | ‎-0.461%
Euro | 1 | 3.7761 | ‎-0.39%
AUS Dollar | 1 | 2.1333 | ‎-0.196%
Can Dollar | 1 | 2.3374 | ‎-0.094%
DAN Krone | 1 | 0.5054 | ‎-0.394%
NOR Krone | 1 | 0.3153 | ‎-0.253%
SA Rand | 1 | 0.1925 | +0.26%
SWD Krona | 1 | 0.3452 | ‎-0.318%
SWS Franc | 1 | 4.0480 | ‎-0.106%