Tel Aviv Stock Exchange up nearly 100% since Gaza war
(JNS) — The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reached record highs last year, outperforming global markets, including the U.S., despite the war against Hamas in Gaza and military strikes in Iran, according to data the TASE released on Feb. 4.
The TA-35 Index of blue chip companies surged by 51.6%, and the TA-90 Index increased 46.6% last year, according to the TASE 2025 Annual Review. By comparison, the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 increased 17.9%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index was up 21%.
Since the initial plunge in the Tel Aviv market triggered by the Oct. 7 attack, the TA-35 index has surged 98%, and the TA-90 index jumped 94%, the Tel Aviv bourse data showed.
Foreign investors purchased local shares worth $1.27 billion last year, primarily of companies in the financial and defense sectors, after a sell-off the previous year, the report showed.
Trading volumes on the Tel Aviv stock market also broke records last year, increasing 57% compared to 2024, to a daily average of $1 billion.
“The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s exceptional performance in 2025 is a testament to the profound resilience of the Israeli economy,” Yaniv Pagot, EVP/head of trading in the TASE, told JNS on Feb. 4.
“Even amidst a complex multi-front conflict, our flagship indices reached historic highs, frequently outperforming global benchmarks and solidifying Tel Aviv as a premier destination for international capital,” Pagot said.
Israel to build international airport near Beersheva
(JNS) — After years of talks, Israel is set to establish an international airport in southern Israel, in a major economic boost for the Negev region, the government announced on Feb. 5.
The new airport, which will be located in the area of the Ziklag archaeological site, about 17 miles northwest of Beersheva between the cities of Netivot and Rahat, is expected to be formally approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, a joint statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, Transport Ministry and Finance Ministry said.
The site is slightly west of a location previously under consideration at Moshav Nevatim.
“The establishment of a supplementary international airport is a national necessity in light of the continued growth in the number of passengers traveling to and from Israel,” the government said in a statement. “The decision to build the first airport in the south is significant news for Israel’s aviation sector and even greater news for the entire Negev.”
Construction of the airport, which is expected to take a decade, “will create thousands of new jobs, strengthen the local economy, and is part of an expanded process the government is leading to reduce gaps and effectively end the concept of the periphery,” the statement continued.
The future airport is intended to alleviate congestion at Israel’s main international gateway, Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Israel’s president to visit Down Under next week
(JNS) — Barring the outbreak of war with Iran, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is slated to visit Australia next week.
The five-day trip has drawn opposition from pro-Palestinian groups, with protests planned in major cities.
Herzog is expected to meet survivors and families of the victims of the Dec. 14 shooting at Bondi Beach near Sydney, in which terrorists killed 15 people and wounded 39 others.
He was first invited to make the visit by the leaders of the Australian Jewish community.
In the six weeks since the attack, antisemitic incidents have continued unabated in the country.
An Australian teenager was charged Jan. 30 with issuing death threats against Herzog online.
The Israeli president will be flying commercial to Australia on a foreign carrier.
Israeli carriers do not currently offer service to Australia; the fastest flights from Tel Aviv travel via the United Arab Emirates, while Thailand is another connection option.
Deni Avdija becomes first Israeli to be selected as an NBA All-Star
(JTA) — Portland Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija’s meteoric rise has officially reached a new stratosphere, as the 25-year-old forward has become the NBA’s first-ever Israeli All-Star.
Avdija was named an All-Star reserve for the Western Conference on Feb. 1, an expected but deserved nod after the northern Israel native finished seventh in All-Star voting with over 2.2 million votes, ahead of NBA legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Avdija’s star turn began last year in his first season with Portland, when he further captured the adoration of Jewish fans across Israel and the U.S. But he took another step forward this season, averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game. His points and assists clips are by far the best of his career, and rank 13th and 12th in the NBA, respectively. He’s considered a front-runner for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
For close observers of Israeli basketball, Avdija’s All-Star selection is the culmination of a promising career that began as a teenage star with Maccabi Tel Aviv and made him the first Israeli chosen in the top 10 in an NBA draft.
“Deni Avdija being named an NBA All-Star reserve is an unbelievable achievement in the mind of every Israeli basketball fan,” Moshe Halickman, who covers basketball for the popular Sports Rabbi website, wrote in an essay for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “This is a dream come true for many — a dream that became realistic and even a must-happen during his breakout season.”
