Overview

• Speaking at a Finance Ministry conference, Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must adapt to an economy with autarkic traits and expand domestic weapons production, declaring the country should become "Athens and super Sparta."
• He urged heavy investment in traditional and social media influence operations, blaming campaigns by Qatar and China and asserting that Muslim minorities in Europe have shifted policy against Israel.
• He warned that sanctions and difficulties importing arms and components are already altering Israel’s standing, saying the country needs to reduce reliance on international trade.
• Several Western governments have imposed or signaled arms restrictions, with measures reported in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and others, and Britain’s Royal College of Defence Studies barring Israeli students next year.
• Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the isolation a product of government failures, and about 80 former senior economists cautioned that a cabinet move to occupy Gaza would carry massive costs and risk European sanctions that could damage trade.