Israel in January 2026: the most important developments in economy
Israel's economy in January 2026 was marked by large deals in technology. Apple bought the Israeli artificial intelligence company Q.ai, reported at $1.6 billion and described as the largest acquisition in Apple's history, as it competes with Meta and Google on AI-powered devices. Mobileye acquired an Israeli humanoid robotics startup for $900 million, an Israeli cyber startup raised $150 million to protect critical infrastructure, and Nvidia unveiled a supercomputer largely built in Israel. Steel Partners offered to buy a 51% stake in an Israeli medical technology company.
On public finances, the Bank of Israel lowered its interest rate for a second straight time, to 4%. Israel completed a $6 billion bond offering on international markets, and the government planned to sell stakes in state-owned defense companies to help offset the costs of the war. Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay proposed a plan to rebuild Gaza with a new city, saying he was prepared to invest billions of his own money. The Israel Lands Authority published a tender for more than 3,400 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem.
Aviation was affected by regional tensions. Lufthansa Group restricted flights to Israel and extended its cancellation of night flights through 3 February, and KLM said it would not resume Tel Aviv service.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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