Israel’s government approved plans to build over 5.000 new homes in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; though it is not clear when construction will begin, the decision raised international bewilderment and more tensions with Palestine

The government has turned to the defense industry to bolster the military’s ability to intercept aerial drones; a competition was launched among eight large and small firms including Elbit, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries

The Bank of Israel kept interest rates unchanged for the sixth consecutive meeting, but raised the prospect of future rate hikes if armed conflicts on two fronts push inflation higher than expected

Netanyahu defiantly addressed the UN, saying that he decided to attend "after hearing the lies and slanders addressed by the speakers present", calling the UN a "house of darkness" and a "swamp of anti-Semitic bile"