00:00Did you know a war can slow down an entire country's economy?
00:03Israel says its economy could grow just 3.3% in 2026 if the war with Iran continues.
00:10That's much lower than earlier expectations.
00:13Before the latest conflict, economists believed Israel's economy could expand by more than 5% next year.
00:20But the ongoing fighting with Iran and Hezbollah is forcing the government to spend heavily on defense instead of economic
00:27growth.
00:28Israel's parliament has already approved a 699 billion shekel national budget, with a large portion going toward military operations.
00:37And the cost of war is huge.
00:40Estimates suggest the conflict could be draining billions of dollars from the economy every week.
00:45If the fighting ends soon, growth could improve to around 3.8%.
00:49But if the war drags on longer, economic recovery may slow even more.
00:54The bigger question now is not just about the battlefield.
00:58It's whether prolonged conflict could reshape Israel's economic future.
Comments