Israeli Economists Call for Reassessment of National Budget Amid War and Economic Crisis

Israeli economists are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich to re-open the country's budget in response to the ongoing war with Hamas. The economists argue that the current budget did not account for the costs of the war, including the relocation of over 200,000 Israelis and the impact on the economy due to labor shortages and closures. They are calling for a fundamental change in national priorities and a reallocation of funds to support the victims and rebuild the economy. The Ministry of Finance has not yet responded to the economists' letter.