The INSS Economics and National Security research field deals with economic issues related to national security issues studied at INSS, among them: Israeli strategic issues, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the neighboring Arab and Islamic worlds, society and security, and Israel’s civilian front. Among the research field’s current areas of focus: Israel’s national defense budget, The IDF draft framework, Reconstruction of the Gaza economy, Sanctions regimes, The socio-economic status of the Israeli Arab population, The economies of Israel’s neighboring states, and Survey of the field of defense economics The Economics and National Security research field, established in March 2014, is sponsored by the Philadelphia-based Joseph and Jeanette Neubauer Foundation. It conducts forums, workshops, and seminars on the subjects within its purview.
The 2025 State Budget—Confirmation of the Credit Rating Agencies’ Concerns
What are the main characteristics of the budget approved by the government, and why does it fail to meet the broader economic needs of the country or provide a reason for credit rating agencies to reverse their decision to downgrade Israel’s credit rating?
The Turnaround: The War and Its Strategic Disputes in a Year’s Perspective
From the perspective of one year, the article re-examines the strategic and policy alternatives available to Israel during the war and the key debates that took place surrounding them
Economic Maneuvering: How States Evade Economic Sanctions
Recent years have seen a noticeable increase in the recourse by states and international organizations to level economic sanctions on various countries, commercial entities, financial bodies, and individuals. This trend, however, does not reflect the success rate of these sanctions, and research indicates that their chances of success are slim. The reasons for the poor success rate of sanctions regimes depend on the specific cases and the importance of the interests of the involved parties. Nonetheless, certain patterns of behavior repeat themselves in each of the countries targeted by sanctions, such as adapting the local economy to the sanctions, resisting the sanctions in the international system, and taking practical steps to bypass them. This article surveys the patterns of behavior that countries employ in dealing with sanctions, focusing primarily on tools to evade them. Looking at North Korea, Russia, and Iran as case studies, it describes the tools that help nations bypass comprehensive sanctions. These modes of behavior also illuminate how various actors perceive sanctions and how countries that impose sanctions implement and enforce them.