Israeli politicians focus on foreign threats, ignoring spiralling debt
Summary
Israeli politicians are focusing their election campaigns on security and regional threats, but they are not addressing the rising national debt caused by ongoing conflicts. Defense spending and war costs have significantly increased Israel’s debt, which reached about $480 billion in 2025, putting pressure on the country’s economy.Key Facts
- Israel’s parliament is preparing for elections in October 2025.
- Politicians focus on threats from neighboring countries rather than economic issues.
- Israel spent about 350 billion shekels ($118 billion) on wars between 2023 and 2026, excluding the Iran conflict.
- Defense spending alone rose from 5.2% of GDP in 2023 to over 8% in 2024.
- National debt increased from 1.07 trillion shekels ($365 billion) before October 2023 to around 1.4 trillion shekels ($480 billion) in 2025.
- Tax revenues reached a record 509.3 billion shekels ($172.6 billion) in 2025, but expenses for defense and debt servicing are growing faster.
- More wealthy Israelis are leaving the country, which may hurt tax revenue.
- The ultra-Orthodox population, which receives substantial government welfare and often does not serve in the military, is growing and poses fiscal challenges.
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