The Accountant General and the Deputy Director General for Government and Society at the Prime Minister’s Office today laid the cornerstone for the Government Innovation Space – a first-of-its-kind space designed to serve as a platform for experimentation, streamlining, and improving core government processes. 
The Innovation Space is an initiative of the Accountant General and is being established as part of a broad process by the Government Innovation Team, led by the Prime Minister’s Office, which is laying out for the first time the strategic operational framework for innovation in government. The team’s work is driven by the understanding that innovation is not a privilege, but an applicable strategic tool that must be integrated into all governance mechanisms. 
The space will enable ministries to solve core professional challenges in an environment that supports innovative thinking and enables risk management. Within the space, an acceleration process will be conducted to formulate efficient work processes, which will conclude with an applicable solution and accompany the ministry in the implementation process in the field.
The space’s activity will focus on identifying systemic “bottlenecks” and will promote high-impact initiatives, using methodologies of open innovation, pilots, and sandbox. Additionally, a surrounding ecosystem will accompany the space, including, among other things, meetups – learning and knowledge-sharing sessions, hackathons, roundtables, and venture incubation. 
The space is being established for the use of the entire government – as a joint venture between the government and Joint Israel, under the joint leadership of the Accountant General and the Prime Minister’s Office, with the guidance of the Government Innovation Team. Its physical structure will be built on the Givat Ram campus in Jerusalem, as part of the connection to the innovation campus in the area.

Yahli Rotenberg, the Accountant General, said during the ceremony:
“The laying of the cornerstone today is not just a real estate event; it symbolizes a profound change in the culture of government management. The Innovation Center is not an isolated ‘island’ of technology; it is the place where innovative ideas meet the daily practice of work processes. We are adopting a two-way strategy here: operating efficiently under existing constraints to produce quick solutions, and simultaneously working to remove long-term regulatory barriers. Our goal is clear: to transform the government into a smart and flexible organization that uses data and technology to provide better service to the citizens of Israel and to streamline the work of civil servants.” 

Drorit Steinmetz, Acting Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office:
“The Innovation Space we are launching this evening is a significant step in increasing government effectiveness. The joint work of the staff units as part of the inter-ministerial team allows us to create a ‘safe space’ on the way to cracking the national challenges before us, out of a deep commitment to implementing groundbreaking innovation in public service. This space will serve as a tool for progress, effectiveness, and the development of innovative ideas to streamline government processes. 
This move joins many other initiatives in the fields of innovation, cyber, and artificial intelligence that place Israel at the forefront.” 

Liron Henetz, Deputy Director General for Government and Society at the Prime Minister’s Office:
“Innovation in government is not a luxury. This evening is a real opportunity to combine two efforts simultaneously – strategic and practical. We are publishing the government framework for innovation in government for the first time while developing the Innovation Space. 
In the spirit of the OECD’s international principles, we will take forward – islands of innovation towards a national movement that will leverage capabilities and represent a leap forward in the field.”

Avithar Peretz, Senior Deputy to the Accountant General for Innovation and Technology, said during the ceremony:
“We are realizing a dream that has been developing for several years: a home for innovation in government, a place that will disseminate the doctrine of innovation within the government and enable the government to think and act differently. The Innovation Space will allow for out-of-the-box thinking and a push for paradigm and perception shifts, with the goal of providing efficient, high-quality, and fast service to citizens and businesses. The space will enable a culture of failure on the path to success, because there is no success without failure, and no chance without taking risks. We at the Accountant General’s office support and accompany innovation initiatives in government procurement, service conditions, and other areas within the Accountant General’s purview, which have already led to the acceleration of government and economy activities in many fields. Through the space, we will be able to expand these activities to all areas within the government.”

Dr. Hadas Minka-Brand, CEO of Joint Israel:

“Since the establishment of the state, Joint Israel has been working to build Israel’s strong social infrastructure, and we see great privilege in our extensive partnership with the government to advance the public sector. The new space will allow us to harness Joint Israel’s social, digital, and process experience into the government’s content areas, thereby fulfilling our deep commitment to making public systems more efficient and beneficial for every citizen, a vital step towards ensuring the continued growth and resilience of Israeli society as a whole.”

The Ministry of Finance, the Histadrut, and the employees’ representatives signed a new collective agreement for the employees of Noga – Electricity System Management. The agreement, which will apply to approximately 500 employees of the government company that manages the operation, planning, and trade in Israel‘s electricity sector, centers on a modern and attractive salary structure. This will strengthen long-term employment stability in the company and enable the attraction of additional quality employees to “Noga.” The agreement, which also includes broad salary increases and performance bonuses, will be valid until 2030.
This is a complex and innovative agreement that complements the electricity sector reform. Thanks to it, Noga will become one of the most prominent and important companies in the public sector, while preserving and strengthening employee rights. 

Key points of the agreement:
•    A 3% percentage increase to the base salary, effective January of this year (as part of the framework agreement).
•    A new salary structure for new employees based on clusters and levels, with minimum and maximum ranges, update mechanisms, and differential promotion increments over the years.
•    A transition path for existing employees to the new salary structure.
•    A signing bonus of NIS 20,000 for employees with one year or more of seniority (and a proportional bonus for employees with shorter seniority).
•    Annual performance bonuses for all employees, based on defined criteria determined by management in consultation with the workers’ committee; broad eligibility for most employees in the target groups.
•    Regulation of individual contracts: Reduction and affiliation of most individual contract holders to the collective agreement; defining roles in which employment can be on individual contracts and special conditions in defined cases.
•    Restrictions on outsourcing and commitment to the gradual absorption of existing contractor employees into direct employment, subject to a dedicated track and in defined areas.

Oded Elkabetz, Deputy Commissioner of Wages: “The new collective agreement is a significant step in strengthening Noga’s managerial capabilities. It provides the company’s management with advanced managerial tools to promote professional excellence, and to recruit and retain quality employees through competitive and role-dependent salary levels. The agreement strengthens organizational certainty and stability, and allows us to continue to fulfill our national responsibility for managing Israel‘s electricity sector – in routine and in emergencies.”

Acting Chairman of the Histadrut, Roi Yaakov: “The Histadrut is working with all its might and determination to strengthen the position of employees in all sectors of the economy – and especially in those areas of national and strategic importance. The agreement at Noga is truly good news: it significantly improves employees’ conditions and ensures long-term employment stability, and also strengthens the company’s ability to attract and retain experts in the fields of engineering and electricity. This is exactly what is needed to maintain a reliable and strong electricity sector – in routine and in emergencies. The Histadrut will continue to work to improve working conditions and promote moves and reforms that will benefit not only the employees – but the entire Israeli economy and public.”
Adam Blumenberg, Vice President of Economics and Policy at the Histadrut and CEO of the Professional Unions Division: “This is another significant step in the implementation of the reform in the electricity sector. The comprehensive move we have made to update salary conditions provides employees with certainty and transparency, and places them at the forefront with the most competitive conditions in the market. The ability to recruit and retain talent and experts is critical to ensuring optimal service in the face of the national challenges of the Israeli energy sector. I congratulate the negotiation teams and Noga’s management on their professional and substantive cooperation that led to the desired outcome.”

Shiki Fisher, CEO of Noga: “Noga welcomes the signing of the new collective agreement and sees it as a significant and historic milestone in the company’s development. This is an agreement that strengthens Noga as a central national professional body and establishes its ability to continue managing the State of Israel‘s electricity system at the highest level.
The agreement updates and aligns Noga employees’ employment and salary standards with the heavy responsibility placed upon them and the growing complexity of the energy sector. It creates employment certainty, organizational peace, and a stable human infrastructure that will enable the company to cope with future challenges.
Beyond the organizational aspect, this is an agreement of national importance. Strengthening employees and strengthening Noga are necessary conditions for maintaining the State of Israel‘s energy security and ensuring a continuous, reliable, and resilient electricity supply in both routine and emergency situations.”
As mentioned, Noga is an independent government company established as part of the electricity sector reform. Since 2021, it has fully managed the system’s operation, electricity trade, planning, and development. In emergencies, Noga serves as the national power management authority. The company employs approximately 500 employees and works to ensure a regular, reliable, and quality electricity supply for all consumers in Israel. Most of the employees, who are engineers and academics, are employed at three of the company’s sites in Haifa, as well as in Herzliya and Ramat HaSharon.

The Natural Gas Authority in the Ministry of Energy and infrastructure concludes the year 2025 with a significant achievement: 41 new consumers were connected to the natural gas distribution network – a record number of connections in a single year since the network’s deployment began. In total, approximately 220 consumers have been connected nationwide to date.

Minister of Energy and infrastructure, Eli Cohen: “The record in natural gas connections is a result of our unprecedented investment in infrastructure, and it is excellent news for the economy and the country. The use of natural gas will strengthen industry, reduce energy costs for businesses, and accelerate economic development, while reducing air pollution for the benefit of the health of Israeli citizens.”

The achievement in the past year is based on a series of essential actions taken by the Natural Gas Authority, including state-funded acceleration programs to remove barriers, shortening timelines, and completing infrastructure in the field; alongside strict enforcement and supervision to ensure distribution companies meet their licensing obligations, maintain high standards in planning, operation, and safety, and promote connections within binding timelines. Among the consumers connected this year are: three medical centers, industrial plants in the food, plastics, and construction sectors, infrastructure sites, agricultural farms, and businesses in regional industrial hubs. A significant portion of the connections has already entered the stage of actual natural gas consumption.

Distribution of connections in 2025 by distribution areas:

• Super NG Hadera and the Valleys – 17 consumers (Emek HaMayanot, Beit She’an, and the Sharon)
• Negev Natural Gas – 9 consumers (Neot Hovav, Be’er Sheva, and Segev Shalom)
• Natural Gas South – 8 consumers (Ashkelon, Ad Halom Industrial Zone, Kibbutz Yavne, and the moshavim of Shahar and Menuha)
• Rimmon Natural Gas – 3 consumers (Safed and Kibbutz Shamir)
• Super NG Center – 3 consumers
• Jerusalem – 1 consumer

The Natural Gas Authority in the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure continues to work to strengthen deployment also in remote areas, with an emphasis on increasing productivity, saving energy, and reducing gaps. For example, the distribution network has been completed in the Upper Galilee up to Kibbutz Shamir, and in Emek HaMayanot. In 2026, the network is expected to reach Kiryat Shmona as well.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Natural Gas Authority in the Ministry is expected to expand the pace of connections in the north of the country and in areas where server farms are expected to be established, subject to government decisions. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure continues to work to remove barriers, shorten processes, and strengthen enforcement – in order to meet national goals and support the energy needs of the Israeli economy.

Jerusalem, 14 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety is fighting the exclusion of women on public transportation. A fine of 40,000 Shekels ($12,600) and personal compensation of 22,000 shekels ($6,900) to a female passenger, along with additional fines and penalties against the Dan bus company and a bus driver were levied for a serious incident of exclusion of women and discrimination on public transportation.

The incident occurred in January 2023 on bus route 292, which operates between Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva. A 76-year-old female passenger who boarded the bus was asked by a bus driver to move to the back of the bus, claiming that it was a bus operating in a “mehadrin” format, one which requires the separation of men and women for religious reasons. After she refused, offensive and discriminatory statements were made to her, with the driver participating in the incident.

The Tel Aviv District Traffic Magistrate’s Court ruled that this was improper conduct that violates human dignity and constitutes a violation of the obligation to provide equal service on public transportation.

The indictment was filed by the National Prosecution Department of the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety, as part of a clear policy of zero tolerance towards the exclusion of women and discrimination in public transportation. The ministry works systematically to identify cases of violation of passenger rights, through overt and covert enforcement, and does not hesitate to take legal action against public transportation operators and their employees.

Today (Wednesday), as part of an initiative, detectives from the Holon station conducted a search under a court order at an apartment on Shaul Hadadi Street in Bat Yam.  

During the search of the apartment, 21 division bags containing cocaine, 19 division bags containing MDMA, five division bags containing Dosa, two ecstasy pills, 20 grams of marijuana, an electronic scale, and a mobile phone were seized.

 The suspect (20) was arrested and transferred for investigationon suspicion of drug trafficking.
 

Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke this evening with Tali and Itzik Guili, the parents of the fallen abducted soldier Sergeant Ran Guili, may his memory be blessed.

The Prime Minister clarified that Ran’s return is our top priority and that the declarative move to establish a technocratic committee will not affect the efforts to return Ran to burial in Israel.

The Prime Minister clarified that the Israeli government insists that information provided to the mediators by the POW coordinator and his team will immediately be translated into effective actions on the ground.
Hamas is required to adhere to the terms of the agreement and make a 100% effort to return all fallen abducted individuals, down to the last one – Ran Guili, hero of Israel.

(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

Tuesday, 13 January 2026 / 23 Tevet 5786

*President Isaac Herzog speaks with Yaakov Harari Following His Release from Prison in Venezuela*

This evening, Tuesday, President Isaac Herzog spoke with Yaakov Harari immediately upon his return home to Israel. Harari had been held in prison in Venezuela for over a year without any justification, under extremely harsh and life-threatening conditions. On Monday, Harari was released from detention following an Israeli and international effort, in which President Herzog also took part at the request of the Israeli government’s Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch.

During his call with President Herzog, Harari described the suffering he endured and his current condition. President Herzog expressed his support for Harari and his family after the difficult ordeal they had endured.

President Herzog: “Yaakov, after a prolonged period outside Israel and separation from your family, after terrible suffering, thank God you have returned home. On behalf of the State of Israel, I welcome you on your return. We stand by you and your family and will assist you throughout the process of rehabilitation and return to normal life.”

Jerusalem, 14 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection is currently launching an extensive information campaign for local authorities in Arab society, with the aim of raising awareness of the serious dangers to health and the environment posed by the illegal burning of waste.

Burning waste – whether it is household, agricultural or commercial waste – creates a serious health hazard to the environment. The smoke emitted from such incinerators contains toxic and carcinogenic substances that damage the respiratory tract and immune system, and may cause diseases and long-term damage to health, especially among children and sensitive populations.

The ministry developed a comprehensive outreach kit with targeted messages for farmers, business owners, market stall owners and the general public. The kit includes a wide range of outreach materials for local authorities to download and implement, including ads, posters, banners, billboards and social media content.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection emphasized that the responsibility for maintaining clean air and public health is shared by all.

Jerusalem, 14 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The “Survivors’ Allowances” Law (Survivors’ Pensions of Permanent and State Service Servants and Their Retirees -Legislative Amendments 2026) was finally approved by the Knesset. The law states that widows and widowers will no longer lose their survivors’ allowance following remarriage, and eliminates offsets between allowances.

In addition, the law amends the ceiling set for the pension (70% of the determining salary) and allows in certain situations to receive a full pension (100% of the determining salary). Finally, the law abolishes the arrangements for eligibility for the pension based on the age of the survivor, which prevented widows under the age of 35 without orphans from being eligible for the pension.

“After years of injustice and ongoing struggle, justice has finally been done,” said Attorney Zehava Gross-Meydan, Chairwoman of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization.