Haifa

Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya and Haifa are the most prominent cities with the highest percentage of empty homes. The share of vacant properties in the whole country has increased by 24% from 2012. As of mid-2019, 170,300 units are not occupied of more than 9 months. This is 6.5% of Israel's housing stock, according to the National Statistical Institute of the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes that the proven and likely energy reserves in Israel, Cyprus and Crete are more than enough to support natural gas exports to Europe even through an East Med pipeline.

The first foreign firefighting planes on Nov. 25 started helping Israel tackle a vicious wave of wildfires which have forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Faced for the past four days with fires across the country fed by drought and high winds, Israel has been promised airborne assistance by Russia, France, Turkey, Greek Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Croatia.

Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli’s request to close Israeli air space above her wedding to billionaire businessman Adi Ezra pitted Israel’s Transport Minister Yisrael Katz against the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a public fued.