Exports defy rockets: Israel keeps $150 b. trade flowing through war
“When rockets are flying and the world questions Israel’s stability, we keep doing what we do best: connecting Israel to the world,” chairman Avi Balashnikov said.
With rockets still falling along Israel’s borders and tens of thousands of reservists in uniform, the country’s exporters managed to ship almost $150 billion worth of goods and services in 2024, only a 1 percent dip from the previous year, helping the economy eke out 1 percent growth despite the cost of the Gaza conflict.
Bank of Israel forecasts indicate activity is expected to bounce back, with output projected to expand by 3.5 percent in 2025 and 4 percent in 2026, assuming no further escalation. Technology services, which account for more than half of Israel’s exports, rose 3 percent last year and another 10 percent in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Israel Export Institute.
The institute, a partnership between government and industry, never shut its doors, even when staff were called to reserve duty or supply chains were snarled by rocket alerts and a sudden shortage of Palestinian workers.
Emergency “war rooms” paired companies with alternative logistics routes, while virtual matchmaking events set up more than 5,000 one-on-one meetings with overseas buyers, institute figures show.
“When rockets are flying and the world questions Israel’s stability, we keep doing what we do best: connecting Israel to the world,” Chairman Avi Balashnikov said. “Every crisis brings opportunity, and our exporters prove the Israeli spirit every day.”
Delegations to India, East Asia, and the Gulf proceeded as planned; defense manufacturers even posted a record $15 billion in overseas sales, a 13 percent increase fueled by European demand for air-defense systems.
Israel still tops global league tables for start-ups per capita and foreign R&D centres. Venture funding cooled only briefly after October 7 and is now within 10 percent of its pre-war pace, according to industry data cited by the institute. Balashnikov argues that “investing in Israel isn’t charity; it’s a smart economic decision backed by data.”
The Export Institute plans to revive its “Gateway to Africa” initiative, which was paused during the first months of the war, and to mount Israel’s first national pavilion at next year’s COP-31 climate summit in Rio de Janeiro. The goal: push annual exports past $200 billion within five years.
“In a volatile region, exports are our anchor,” Balashnikov said. “They show that Israel remains inventive, reliable, and very much open for business.”
