menu_open Columnists
Sharon Wrobel

Sharon Wrobel

The Times of Israel

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Moody’s: Durable Hamas ceasefire would fend off further Israel credit rating downgrades

Moody’s: Durable Hamas ceasefire would fend off further Israel credit rating downgrades

Credit rating agency cites ‘domestic political challenges and security concerns’ as obstacles to a permanent ceasefire with the Hamas...

yesterday 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Bank of Israel calls for 2025 budget passage without changes to gain markets’ trust

Bank of Israel calls for 2025 budget passage without changes to gain markets’ trust

Finance Ministry cautions about the need for changes in the budget following the recommendations of the Nagel committee tasked with examining defense...

yesterday 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

One in five Israeli tech firms moved some operations and staff abroad during war

One in five Israeli tech firms moved some operations and staff abroad during war

Israel Innovation Authority survey finds that about 50% of startups and tech firms may run out of funds within 6 months, as they grapple with flight...

previous day 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel to bring forward procurement of AI chips ahead of Biden’s new export rules

Knesset subcommittee discusses new US restrictions on the export of advanced computer chips, calls on government to act on a national AI strategy to...

17.01.2025 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Wizz Air resumes Tel Aviv-London flights, Lufthansa group to return Feb. 1

Wizz Air resumes Tel Aviv-London flights, Lufthansa group to return Feb. 1

Lufthansa’s five airlines will fly routes to six European travel hubs; EasyJet says it will review its plans in the coming days; Turkish...

16.01.2025 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israeli generative AI startup raises $16 million to automate architectural planning

Israeli generative AI startup raises $16 million to automate architectural planning

Tel Aviv-based qbiq says its AI-based software platform can be used by non-architects and architects alike to plan, visualize, and optimize any...

16.01.2025 30

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Arkia teams up with tech initiative to launch flights to New York starting February 8

Arkia teams up with tech initiative to launch flights to New York starting February 8

With US airlines staying away, seats scarce and fares sky-high, the Israeli airline will operate three weekly flights on the Tel Aviv-New York route...

14.01.2025 30

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Japan’s Kaneka buys Israeli medical device startup in $100 millon deal

Japan’s Kaneka buys Israeli medical device startup in $100 millon deal

Endostream Medical, the developer of an implant device for the treatment of brain aneurysms, will operate as Kaneka’s first Israeli R&D hub

09.01.2025 30

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

With a possible end to the war in sight, will 2025 bring a startup ‘baby boom’?

With a possible end to the war in sight, will 2025 bring a startup ‘baby boom’?

Fund managers and tech executives worry about a shortage of local talent and new startups, but expect a revival of Israeli tech firms going public on...

09.01.2025 40

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Experts fear last-minute corporate tax law could have unintended, costly consequences

Experts fear last-minute corporate tax law could have unintended, costly consequences

In a whirlwind action, the Knesset on the last day of 2024 passed a key budget law designed to make changes to the corporate tax regime and collect...

03.01.2025 7

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Aspiring nurse, football star, and single mother among victims of New Orleans attack

Aspiring nurse, football star, and single mother among victims of New Orleans attack

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — An 18-year-old girl dreaming of becoming a nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton football star...

03.01.2025 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Knesset panel passes flight compensation changes to bring back foreign airlines

Knesset panel passes flight compensation changes to bring back foreign airlines

Israeli lawmakers have agreed to make legal changes to canceled flight compensation rights for air passengers to help ease the financial costs of...

03.01.2025 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Financial blows take effect on January 1, ushering in an expensive 2025 for Israelis

Financial blows take effect on January 1, ushering in an expensive 2025 for Israelis

When the clock struck midnight in Israel on Tuesday night, the country ushered in not just 2025 but also a series of tax increases, price hikes and...

01.01.2025 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

El Al pausing flights to Moscow for a week after passenger jet said downed by Russia

Israel’s flagship carrier El Al said Thursday that it was suspending all of its flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow for the coming week, as Azeri...

27.12.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Foreign investments in Israel rebound after decline caused by political instability, war

Two years of internal political instability alongside almost 15 months of war have taken a heavy toll on the flow of foreign investments into...

26.12.2024 30

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Knesset panel passes 2025 tax hikes set to hurt working people in their pockets

In less than a month, a series of tax hikes are slated to go into effect that will erode the income of Israel’s working population, which is...

18.12.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Teva soars on ‘positive’ trial results for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Shares in Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries surged after the generic drug giant said that a clinical study of its duvakitug drug for the...

18.12.2024 8

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel seeks 200 global AI experts to address shortage in local tech startups

Israel is not only falling behind the US and Europe when it comes to pulling in investments in startups that develop artificial intelligence-based...

15.12.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

AI a ‘game-changer’ for future of warfare, says Defense Ministry director-general

In first year of war, 86 startups focusing on innovative tech took in orders worth $168 million from government body, five times more than previous...

10.12.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Knesset panel delays vote on compensation policy changes to bring back foreign airlines

Committee head demands steadfast commitment that carriers will resume their services; lambastes war profiteering by Israeli airlines

10.12.2024 2

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel is producing fewer new startups, raising concerns about future tech jobs

The past decade has seen the number of newly founded startups plunge 45% and more, creating a potential economic shortfall in the coming years,...

09.12.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

As foreign airlines lay low during war, a new carrier is a boon for grounded Israelis

To launch a new airline amid a raging war as hundreds of rockets rained down across Israel and foreign airlines and tourists shunned the country was...

06.12.2024 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Political and security instability fears top Israeli investor concerns, survey finds

Poll shows fundraising remains a major worry, while the M&A market for Israeli startups sets a new high with $10.5 billion in deals led by foreign...

06.12.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

OECD cuts Israel growth forecast as costs of war expected to continue to mount

The Paris-based organization says risks remain high and urges the government to take fiscal action to bring the deficit down

05.12.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Elbit’s profit surges 30% as its order backlog hits record amid multifront war

Defense firm reports increased sales of drones to Israel’s military; total orders jumped to $22.1 billion at end of September, 66% coming from...

20.11.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Hapoalim and Discount profits rise, with interest rate income growing during war

As homes and businesses grapple with loan repayments, Hapoalim sees its quarterly profit jump 14% fueled by NIS 4.58 billion in net interest...

19.11.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

France to challenge ruling allowing Israeli firms to exhibit at defense shows

Appeal filed after Paris court rules in favor of Israeli firms; Israel Manufacturers’ Association vows to fight attempt to bar defense firms ahead...

17.11.2024 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israir and Arkia gear up to challenge El Al’s monopoly on flights to North America

Israel’s smaller airlines will need to lease wide-bodied aircraft and bring in crews for transatlantic flights; also seeking changes to law on...

15.11.2024 40

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Kibbutz Kfar Aza joins Reches Real Estate to build a new NIS 250m industrial site

The 42,000 square-meter industrial complex is expected to be rented out to offices, businesses and industry and will create jobs for returning...

14.11.2024 9

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Google, Amazon set to compete in tender for Israel’s AI supercomputing platform

Tech giants are set to bid on a NIS 240 million tender to build supercomputing infrastructure for Israeli tech startups and academia to advance AI...

13.11.2024 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Higher defense spending in coming years will take toll on citizens, Treasury warns

NIS 10 billion more spent annually on defense would cost the average household NIS 4,000 due to higher taxes and reduced public services, says...

12.11.2024 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Faced with flight shortage, tech firms relocate staff and seek to run a NY route

As US airlines stay away and fares are high, tech executives embark on plan to operate an airline with leased planes and crews to New York to keep...

06.11.2024 10

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel’s 2025 war budget squeezes disposable income of working-class households

Government drops plans to freeze welfare benefits and tax on ‘advanced study’ funds, instead wants to raise National Insurance payments while...

04.11.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

2025 state budget to increase defense spending, cut social services and education

To finance the war, which is estimated to cost NIS 250 billion ($66.8 billion), the Finance Ministry is proposing deep spending cuts as well as tax...

01.11.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

In a year of war, Nvidia overtakes Microsoft as best firm to work for in Israel: D&B

2024 ranking by Dun & Bradstreet takes into account the impact of Gaza conflict on company operations and employees, finds workers seek stable...

31.10.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israeli startup says it can help detect deadly terror drones with smart signal tech

As some UAVs from Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies keep evading Israel’s air defenses, tech execs say detection is the first step to remedying...

29.10.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israeli manufacturers petition French court to overturn naval expo ban on firms

French decision to prohibit 7 Israeli companies from exhibiting at defense fair in November in Paris will be discussed at an urgent hearing on Friday

24.10.2024 8

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

British Airways suspends all Israel flights until March 2025 amid escalation fears

UK airline joins a slew of foreign carriers canceling flights to Ben Gurion Airport in recent weeks; Israeli airlines continue operating, except...

22.10.2024 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

From Negev to Mars: Startup wins Israeli accelerator to shoot for NASA-led space program

Inhayle, an Israeli developer of air and surface disinfection tech, wins grant from space accelerator that places it in the Artemis program to land...

17.10.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Treasury proposes tax hikes for lowest earners, benefit cuts to fund war

Arrangements Law also includes measures taxing advanced study fund and pension contributions. The ‘government is going to hit you in the...

15.10.2024 40

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Fleeing Hezbollah stronghold, Beirut’s displaced met with suspicion and paranoia

Many worry that operatives escaping war could draw Israeli airstrikes to their neighborhoods, fear repeat of civil war phenomenon of displaced...

08.10.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Microsoft launches AI platform to preserve October 7 testimonies

Microsoft Israel engineers develop advanced AI tools to assist users around the world in creating personalized memorial ceremonies or events based...

08.10.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Moody’s explains risks of deterioration of Israel’s credit rating after downgrade

Rating agency worries about high level of uncertainty around Israel’s long-term security and the impact of government policies, political decisions...

01.10.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Treasury is said to propose new taxes to bolster state coffers and finance war

Among the draft proposals for 2025 is freezing tax credits, taxing advanced study funds, reducing tax benefits on pension deposits, and increasing...

24.09.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Slowdown in growth of tech workforce is bad for tax revenue, report warns

Israel Innovation Authority says despite the war, the local tech ecosystem is 3rd-largest global hub for capital raising, but notes that...

23.09.2024 3

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Local institutions have moved $40 billion out of Israel since start of war – report

Institutional investors managing citizens’ savings divert capital to foreign assets amid prolonged war, falling confidence in state’s ability to...

17.09.2024 5

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel’s REE inks supply deal with Indian auto parts maker, secures $45m in funds

A maker of a flat, light, versatile chassis that increases energy efficiency in electric cars, REE says the partnership will increase production to...

17.09.2024 5

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Israel budget chief warns about dangers of spending limit breaches to economy

Yogev Gradus urges the government to offset more spending with budgetary adjustments as Israel could be facing another downgrade and even higher...

12.09.2024 4

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Entrepreneurs and investors ponder the future of tech as fundraising slumps

Only 10 new Israeli VC funds managed to raise $554 million in the first half of the year in what is set to be one of the worst years for capital...

11.09.2024 20

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel

Innovation Authority invests NIS 35m to lure tech jobs to Negev and Galilee

Addressing challenges posed by the months-long war, funds are allocated to help tech firms open new branches and hire local talent in the north and...

29.08.2024 6

The Times of Israel

Sharon Wrobel