Israel’s Wartime Budget

October 2023

Past Event

Israel’s Wartime Budget

Past Event

Online Only

October 27, 2023

Israeli soldiers in an armored vehicle in Sderot, Israel, on October 24, 2023. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

October 2023

Past Event

Speakers:

Noach Hacker

Minister of Economic Affairs, Israel

Noach Hacker is the minister of economic affairs representing Israel’s Ministry of Finance. Minister Hacker was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and received his BA in social sciences from Bar Ilan University, and his MA in social sciences specializing in international economic influence from the University of Haifa. In the last five years, Minister Hacker has served as director and vice president of one of the largest media companies in Israel. Prior to that, Minister Hacker had various positions in the Ministry of Finance, including deputy director of the budget department, where he led various reforms in the Israeli economy, orchestrating the construction of the budget department and its approval in the government and Knesset, and led various economic legislations in the government. He is happily married and a father of four.

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Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel caused the Jewish State to reevaluate the strength of its capabilities and its capacity to maintain border control. Israel has mobilized over 300,000 reservists to fight on the ground against Hamas. Although the Israel Defense Forces’ yearly budget of around $23.6 billion is more than the combined military spending of Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan, Israel’s operation against Hamas may strain its finances. Since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has spent almost $246 million per day, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran for a discussion on Israel’s budget during the Israel-Hamas war with Noach Hacker, the minister of economic affairs representing Israel’s Ministry of Finance.

May 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

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Featured Speakers:

Yasutoshi Nishimura

Kenneth R. Weinstein

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In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

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Featured Speakers:

Yasutoshi Nishimura

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In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

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Featured Speakers:

Eyck Freymann

Jason Hsu

May 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China

With Jason Hsu, Freymann will discuss how the United States and its partners can adapt to China’s evolving strategy and develop a coherent plan to prevent conflict while safeguarding Taiwan’s future.

Featured Speakers:

Eyck Freymann

Jason Hsu

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May 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths

Featured Speakers:

Sam Brownback

Hon. Frank Wolf

Michael Arkush

Mihrigul Tursun

Arjia Rinpoche

Frances Hui

Wang Chunyan

Pastor Pan Yongguang

Peter Xu

Enes Freedom

Pastor Corey Jackson

Grace Jin Drexel

Moderator:

Nina Shea

This picture taken on July 19, 2023 shows a view of a watchtower of an alleged detention facility in Artux in Kizilsu Prefecture in China's northwestern Xinjiang region. Since 2017, more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been swept into internment camps where human rights abuses are commonplace, researchers, campaigners and members of the diaspora say. Beijing says the facilities were voluntary centres for teaching vocational skills, closed years ago after their inhabitants "graduated" into stab

May 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths

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Featured Speakers:

Sam Brownback

Hon. Frank Wolf

Michael Arkush

Mihrigul Tursun

Arjia Rinpoche

Frances Hui

Wang Chunyan

Pastor Pan Yongguang

Peter Xu

Enes Freedom

Pastor Corey Jackson

Grace Jin Drexel

Moderator:

Nina Shea

Learn More

May 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition

Featured Speakers:

Michael Doran

Zineb Riboua

Brenda Shaffer

Sam Cooper

May 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Environmental Agendas, Geopolitical Ends: Climate Policy and Great Power Competition

To examine this emerging challenge, Senior Fellow Dr. Michael Doran will convene a conversation with Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, Professor Brenda Shaffer—Research Faculty Member at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council—and Sam Cooper, an award-winning investigative journalist focusing on China-Canada relations.