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Israel Gains More Billionaires, Breaking Into Top 20 Countries for Ultra-Rich Despite Gaza War
Israeli national flags flutter near office towers at a business park also housing high tech companies, at Ofer Park in Petah Tikva, Israel, Aug. 27, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Despite concerns about the Israeli economy amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel added nine billionaires to its population over the last year, according to a new ranking.
The Hurun Report, a Shanghai- and Mumbai-based research firm, this week released its Global Rich List 2024, a ranking of the billionaires in the world in terms of US dollars. According to the findings, Israel broke into the top 20 countries for the ultra-rich with its new additions over the last year, which bring the Jewish state’s total number of billionaires to 29.
Interestingly, Israel ranked 18th on the list — Chai, the Hebrew word for “life,” is associated with the number 18, which is considered a lucky number in Judaism.
The next highest amount for Middle Eastern countries were Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, ranked 20 and 22, respectively, making the Jewish state the home of the region’s most billionaires.
The richest Israeli was Miriam Adelson, widow of the late Sheldon Adelson, a casino mogul and pro-Israel philanthropist who passed away in 2021. Her net worth was $35 billion, making her the 36th richest person in the world. Members of the Ofer family, real estate and shipping magnates, were also on the list of wealthiest Israelis.
The new ranking came at a time when Israel’s economy, though suffering through a war, has seen some levels of growth. For example, Israeli startups raised nearly $2 billion in the past 90 days, according to Startup Nation Center. Some investors have remarked that the funding activity in the country is the highest they have seen in years.
On the economic level, GDP dropped by nearly 20 percent in the final quarter of 2023, though economists have not warned of any serious recession risks — barring a massive flareup in Israel’s north — due to the fact that historically Israel’s economy has bounced back quickly following wars and disasters. Additionally, the country has a low debt ratio, meaning that the Bank of Israel can issue bonds to print more currency without inflicting serious long-term damage to the economy, experts say.
After Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and launched the war in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists — many of whom were ordinary citizens working civilian jobs — were called to service, putting a strain on the Israeli economy. However, many reservists have come home in recent weeks as Israel has made military gains on the ground.
Topping Hurun’s list was China, which lost 155 billionaires in 2023 but still maintained 814 in the country. Shortly behind was the US with 800. India sat well behind in third place with 271 billionaires.
According to the report, there are in total 3,279 billionaires in the world — 167 more than last year. The research agency attributes the boom in large part to artificial intelligence, which accounted for the work of more than half of the new billionaires.
The post Israel Gains More Billionaires, Breaking Into Top 20 Countries for Ultra-Rich Despite Gaza War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
The post Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
The post Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.