As war widens and costs mount, Israels economy is in serious danger [Video]

TEL AVIV, Israel – Shelly Lotan’s food-tech start-up in northern Israel was just a year old when Hezbollah started firing missiles across the border last October and the government advised everyone in the area to evacuate.

Two of her five employees were called up to serve in the military. Those that remained moved the company’s office to one of her employee’s parents’ basement. Investments slowed to a trickle.

As Israel nears the anniversary of the Hamas-led assault, with no Gaza cease-fire in sight and a possible invasion of Lebanon looming, Lotan’s business is barely hanging on. And her frustration with the government – for its handling of the war, and the downstream effects on the economy – is mounting.

The human cost of Oct. 7 on this small country has been immense. Nearly everyone knew someone who was killed, injured or kidnapped that day, or deployed to the front lines …