Here is the situation and the considerations for the decision:
A Problematic Recommendation at a Critical Time
The Supervisor of Trade Levies at the Ministry of Economy and the Advisory Committee recommended imposing an unprecedented levy of 34% to 105% on aluminum imports from China for 5 years, claiming “dumping” that harms local industry.
The recommendation was based on data from 2023 – a year of war and high interest rates. The decline in factory profits was due to the economic situation and the stagnation in Construction, not necessarily the Chinese price.
Creation of a Significant Shortage in the Construction and Housing Market
The Minister of Finance reveals a dramatic figure in his letter: blocking imports from China is not just an economic issue, but will lead to a physical shortage of raw material, as the local industry specializes mainly in private and luxury Construction, and is not equipped to supply standard profiles for high-density construction (towers) in the required volumes.
The Dry Numbers for 2025:
– Expected demand in the economy: approximately 99,000 tons of aluminum.
– Maximum local production capacity: approximately 51,000 tons only.
– Imports from other countries (excluding China): approximately 25,000 tons.
– The result: a shortage (“gap”) of approximately 23,000 tons per year.
The implication: accepting the Ministry of Economy’s position would lead to the halting of construction sites, delays in handing over keys to buyers, and the development of a “black market.”
A move that will contribute to the exacerbation of the Cost of Living and housing (approximately NIS 600 million per year)
According to Treasury calculations, imposing the levy means a direct damage of approximately NIS 600 million per year to the economy.
Aluminum constitutes approximately 5.8% of the residential construction input index. Any price increase in it is passed directly to the pockets of apartment buyers.
The Israeli aluminum market is concentrated (oligopoly). Imports are the only restraining factor on prices. Furthermore, changing tariffs now creates dangerous regulatory uncertainty ahead of the “What’s Good for Europe” reform in 2027. The market is in the midst of a transition to international standards, and imposing new trade restrictions now disrupts the preparations of importers and contradicts the government’s policy of removing barriers and opening the market.

Professional and Legal Backing
The Minister’s decision adopts the position of senior professional ranks and is legally anchored:
Legal Authority: The decision is based on court rulings (“the cannabis case”) and legal counsel opinions, which allow the Minister of Finance to consider broad considerations (housing, cost of living) and not be a “rubber stamp” for the Supervisor.
Competition Authority: Determined that there is a serious concern of harm to competition and that local manufacturers are unable to meet demand.
Chief Economist: Pointed out that the data on which the Supervisor based his decision were partial and that the “damage” to the industry stemmed from the war and a shortage of workers.
The Figure That Changes the Picture: China Canceled Subsidies
During the investigation, it became clear that the Chinese government recently canceled a 13% subsidy on aluminum exports. The implication: the price from China is already increasing. Imposing an additional levy would constitute a “double punishment” and be unnecessary for the Israeli consumer.

From the words of the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich: “My role is to look at the entire economy. I will not allow a move that will enrich a small number of factories at the expense of every citizen in Israel, exacerbate the housing crisis, and fuel the cost of living.”
 

The Accountant General’s Department at the Ministry of Finance, led by Yahli Rotenberg, completed a significant public offering of dollar-denominated bonds in international markets last night (Tuesday). 

As part of the move, three new series of bonds were issued for terms of 5, 10, and 30 years, totaling $6 billion.

The spreads set in the offering were 90, 100, and 125 basis points, respectively, above the yield of U.S. Treasury bonds for similar terms.

The weighted average spread in the offering stands at approximately 102 basis points, an improvement of about 34% compared to the weighted average spread in the dollar bond offering conducted in 2024, which was approximately 154 basis points.

Demand for the offering amounted to approximately $36 billion, six times the actual offering amount, a figure indicating high confidence from international investors in Israel‘s economy.

The offering was accompanied by the banks Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan, who served as underwriters for the deal.

Ahead of the offering, extensive investor meetings were held in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, led by the Accountant General Yahli Rotenberg, Deputy Accountant General Gil Cohen, and the team from the Government Debt Management Unit in the Accountant General’s Department at the Ministry of Finance.

Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich:
“The successful fundraising effort by the State of Israel in international markets, which received high demand from institutional investors worldwide, reflects the resilience of Israel‘s economy and the responsible economic management we have been implementing in recent years, which has earned the trust of the markets.
A big thank you to the Accountant General, Yahli Rotenberg, and his team for their exceptionally diligent and professional work. This is a significant step that supports the continued responsible and stable management of the Israeli economy.”

Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance, Yahli Rotenberg:
“The offering results reflect a return to the spread levels that preceded the war, and indicate high investor confidence in Israel‘s economy. The offering amount supports the State of Israel‘s financing needs for 2026 and provides significant tailwinds for the domestic market as well. These results reflect the resilience and strength of Israel’s economy, even during a challenging period. Approximately 300 different investors from over 30 countries participated in the offering, including countries with which Israel has signed Abraham Accords, indicating the expansion and deepening of the country’s international investor base. On a personal note, as my term as Accountant General comes to an end, it is important for me to note that this offering concludes an unprecedented period of professional and intensive work, and demonstrates the State of Israel’s ability to operate successfully even under conditions of uncertainty.”

Deputy Accountant General, Gil Cohen:
“The State of Israel has succeeded in raising debt at the lowest cost in the last two years, while continuing to support the government debt management strategy, particularly in diversifying funding sources and expanding the investor base, which are important factors in responsible debt management that enables stable government operations even during challenging times.” 
 

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that in October 2025, according to original data – the average salary for a salaried position in Israel at current prices was 13,623 Shekels ($4,300) per month, an increase of 3.0% compared to October 2024 when it was 13,230 Shekels ($4,176).

The average salary for an employee position at constant prices (deducted by the monthly consumer price index) was 10,917 Shekels ($3,440), an increase of 0.5% compared to October 2024 when it was 10,865 Shekels ($3,430).

The number of salaried jobs was 4.067 million, almost unchanged from September 2025 (4.063 million) and an increase of 2.2% from October 2024 (3.981 million).

Flash estimates for November 2025
(Flash estimates are based on partial data available from the Central Bureau of Statistics.)

According to the flash estimates for November 2025, the average salary for an employee position at current prices for all employees was 13,297 Shekels ($4,190), an increase of 4.3% compared to November 2024, when it was 12,743 Shekels ($4,000). The average salary for an employee position at current prices for Israeli employees was 13,587 Shekels ($4,260), an increase of 4.6% compared to November 2024, when it was 12,989 Shekels ($4,050).

According to the flash estimates for November 2025, the number of salaried jobs for all workers was 4.345 million, an increase of 1.1% compared to October 2025 (4.298 million) and an increase of 2.5% compared to November 2024 (4.241 million).

The number of salaried jobs for Israeli workers (out of the number of salaried jobs for all workers) was 4.111 million, an increase of 1.1% compared to October 2025 (4.067 million) and an increase of 1.7% compared to November 2024 (4.043 million).

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Earlier today, Tuesday, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) attacked and killed two terrorists from the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Khirbet Salem area in southern Lebanon.

The two terrorists were involved in attempts to rebuild Hezbollah terrorist organization’s military infrastructure, said the IDF.

One of them was an engineering terrorist in the compound who led the organization’s reconstruction efforts.

“The terrorists’ activities were a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” said the IDF adding that it will “continue to act to remove any threat and protect the State of Israel.”

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with a delegation of parliamentarians from Japan.

The Prime Minister congratulated the members of the delegation on their visit to Israel, and thanked them for standing by Israel throughout the war.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister discussed with the members of the delegation regional challenges and the promotion of cooperation between the countries.

Many Israeli citizens hold commercial health insurance, spending significant amounts of money out of pocket for it. A household with a commercial health insurance policy spends an average of about ₪400 per month on commercial health insurance, with a considerable portion of the expense directed towards commercial surgery policies, either “from the first shekel” or “supplementary to Kupat Holim’s (health fund) supplementary insurance.”

The report is intended to assist the public, policymakers, and relevant parties in gaining a clear and comprehensive picture of the issue. It examines the added value offered by commercial surgery insurance, including in relation to the supplementary insurance plans offered by the health funds – specifically concerning the choice of a surgeon from the approved list.

The report offers an in-depth look: Surgery Insurance in Israel – Comparison of Surgeon Lists in Kupat Holim Supplementary Insurance and Commercial Insurance >

The report’s data indicates that no significant added value was found for “from the first shekel” type policies compared to supplementary Kupat Holim insurance policies regarding surgeon lists, as they provide identical access to the same list of surgeons. In light of this, the Ministry of Health recommends examining the most cost-effective insurance based on the client’s risk aversion.

against the backdrop of the reform to reduce insurance duplication in health insurance (the “First Shekel” reform), the report presents, among other things, data regarding the gaps between surgeon lists in Kupat Holim supplementary insurance and those in commercial insurance – in order to reflect the actual added value of commercial insurance relative to Kupat Holim supplementary insurance.

• The comparison between surgeons in commercial insurance and those in Kupat Holim supplementary insurance concerns three main aspects: actual surgeries performed, professional profile, and the geographical distribution of clinics where surgeons operate.
• While individual “first shekel” policies are tens to hundreds of percent more expensive than Kupat Holim supplementary insurance, they provide lower reimbursement rates and relatively lower actual surgery performance rates compared to Kupat Holim supplementary insurance.
• The report also reveals an overlap of up to 84% between surgeons included in commercial insurance lists and those who also operate within the framework of Kupat Holim supplementary insurance – meaning relatively limited added value from commercial insurance in choosing a surgeon; there is a high probability that the insured will encounter the same surgeon in both frameworks.
• The number of surgeons who performed surgeries through Kupat Holim supplementary insurance is slightly higher than in commercial frameworks – with Clalit policyholders leading in utilization rates, followed by Meuhedet.
• The proportion of surgeons in commercial insurance who hold management positions in hospitals is similar to that in Kupat Holim supplementary insurance.
• The report indicates that the advantage in the number of surgeons in commercial insurance exists in only a few fields, primarily ophthalmology, gastroenterology, and plastic surgery.
• Kupat Holim supplementary insurance also has an advantage in the geographical aspect – it provides broader access to pre-operative consultations in the south and north, with a higher rate of clinics in the periphery.

In recent decades, there has been a sharp upward trend in the penetration rate of commercial health insurance in Israel. This trend significantly impacts the public and private healthcare systems and is also reflected in the rise in household health expenditures – both in real terms and as a percentage of consumption, partly due to the significant increase in premiums for commercial health insurance and the deepening phenomenon of health insurance duplication.

The 2022 Ash Committee report indicated that commercial surgery insurance policies, particularly “first shekel” type policies, create expensive duplicate coverage for policyholders who also hold Kupat Holim supplementary insurance, leading to excess expenditure without real medical value.

In order to reduce the phenomenon of insurance duplication, the “From the First Shekel” reform was implemented in June 2024. Under this reform, policyholders who held these commercial policies were transferred to the “Kupat Holim Supplementary” track, with the option to return to a “first shekel” policy. Although nearly 600,000 policyholders were shifted, a roughly 40% increase in premiums for “first shekel” policies and incentives for insurance agents, who are often compensated as a percentage of the premium, led to a return flow of policyholders, so that “first shekel” type policies continue to hold the main share in the surgery segment. Thus, the phenomenon of insurance duplication remains widespread.

The Ministry of Health, through its Senior Department of Economic Regulation, aims to provide the public with relevant information about the private healthcare system, both in terms of funding and provision, in order to enable policyholders to make informed decisions. The report is intended to assist the public, policymakers, and relevant parties in gaining a clearer and more comprehensive picture of the surgeon lists in the health funds’ supplementary insurance programs and in commercial insurance policies.

The analysis presented in the report focuses on three main aspects: the actual surgical activity volume of the surgeons, their professional profile characteristics, and the geographical distribution of the clinics where they operate.

The report’s findings indicate that commercial surgery insurance, particularly “from the first shekel” type policies, generally provides limited value to policyholders compared to the coverage provided by Kupat Holim supplementary insurance regarding the actual supply of surgeons. This is despite the high cost of individual policies, especially the “first shekel” type. The added value is also relatively low in terms of the doctors’ professional profile, as sought-after surgeons likely tend to be included in the Kupat Holim supplementary insurance framework from the outset.
In many cases, policyholders holding both coverages are expected to encounter the same surgeons in both frameworks, especially when it comes to senior surgeons with management backgrounds. The report’s findings show that the quantitative advantage presented by commercial policies in surgeon lists sometimes reflects a theoretical supply, whereas in practice, more surgeons performed surgeries within the Kupat Holim supplementary insurance framework. This is due to the fact that the utilization rate of surgeries within commercial insurance is relatively low compared to its counterpart in Kupat Holim supplementary insurance. Geographically, Kupat Holim supplementary insurance offers broader and more accessible distribution in the periphery, while commercial insurance is more concentrated in the Tel Aviv area.

The totality of the findings reinforces the conclusion that Kupat Holim supplementary insurance constitutes a central, efficient, and accessible mechanism for financing private surgeries in Israel, both in terms of the number of surgeons who performed surgery under its arrangement and the volume of surgeries performed within it. In terms of surgeon selection, Kupat Holim supplementary insurance offers broad and significant lists, also with regard to the surgeons’ professional profile, specialization fields, and geographical distribution.

Therefore, policyholders who wish to hold private coverage in any case should be aware that no significant added value was found for “from the first shekel” type policies compared to supplementary Kupat Holim insurance policies, especially given that both policies offer access to the same list of surgeons. The report’s findings reinforce the need to carefully consider the necessity of these policies and the suitability of the insurance portfolio to the citizen’s risk aversion. This is because reducing the phenomenon of insurance duplication is expected to reduce household expenditures on health without compromising access to quality medical services, thereby offering good news to the insured public and alleviating the cost of living.

Chaim Hofart, Head of the Economics, Regulation, and Innovation Division at the Ministry of Health: “As part of our commitment to provide the public with relevant information about the private healthcare system, in order to enable policyholders to make informed decisions, we are publishing this report, which includes lists of surgeons in the health funds’ supplementary insurance programs and in commercial insurance policies, thereby providing the public with an important tool for financial management in this area.”

Assaf Avda, Senior Director of Economic Regulation in the Division: “The reform that came into effect in mid-2024 differentiated between insurance coverages and its purpose was to reduce the double expenditure of Israeli households on health insurance. The report we are publishing today provides the public with essential information to realize and understand the healthcare services they are funding. I am confident that this tool will be of assistance to all policyholders.”

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Interior Ministry Director General Israel Ozan announced an initial budget allocation of approximately 1.5 million Shekels ($470,000) for planning two new public beaches to be built in the Dead Sea area.

The planned bathing beaches will be built in the area and the planning process and required permits will be completed in 2026, with one beach being defined as a separate beach.

Interior Ministry Director General Israel Ozan: “The development of the beaches in the Dead Sea region is an important step in making a unique national resource accessible to the general public and will help develop the Dead Sea region. The new beaches will offer an organized, safe and respectful bathing experience. We will continue to promote responsible planning, organized and safe beaches for the benefit of the public.”

After a period of several months, political dialogue between israel and Syria, with American backing and support, has resumed.

The dialogue took place as part of President Trump’s vision to promote peace in the Middle East, during which Israel emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of its citizens and preventing threats on its borders.

Israel reiterated its commitment to promoting regional stability and security, and regarding the need to advance economic cooperation for the benefit of both countries.

It was agreed to continue the dialogue to advance common goals and maintain the security of the Druze minority in Syria.

Jerusalem, 6 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office Tuesday night revealed that, after a period of several months, diplomatic dialogue between Israel and Syria resumed with American backing and support.

“The dialogue took place as part of President Trump’s vision for promoting peace in the Middle East, during which Israel emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of its citizens and preventing threats within its borders,” said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The PMO said Israel reiterated its commitment to promoting regional stability and security and to the need to promote economic cooperation for the benefit of both countries and that it was agreed to continue the dialogue to promote common goals and maintain the security of the Druze minority in Syria.