Client updates

The Israeli Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prohibition Authority (IMPA) published a document recently to raise awareness of the new challenges abuses of Generative AI and Deepfake pose to the financial sector. The document reviews the potential risks of use of these technologies, presents case studies from Israel and around the world, discusses emerging threats, and provides a list of “red flags” to help identify suspicious activities.

On October 19, 2025, the Competition Commissioner published her detailed position regarding the proposed anti-dumping levy on imports of aluminum profiles from China. This position expresses strong opposition to the recommendations of the Commissioner of Trade Levies to impose high anti-dumping levies on aluminum imports from China.

In August 2025, after receiving the recommendations of the Simhon Committee, the Bank of Israel published new guidelines for banking corporations. Banks providing financing for residential construction projects will now be prohibited from including stipulations in their financing agreements that relate to the price of an individual apartment.

After months of anticipation, NTA – Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd. finally released on November 10, 2025, the Invitation for Pre-Qualification (PQ 589/2025) for the Participation in Tenders for the Execution of Infra #1 Works of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Metro Lines.

Starting January 1, 2026, NGOs and PBCs under Section 46 must report all donations through the Israel Tax Authority’s digital system to enhance transparency and prevent fraud. Compliance will be mandatory to maintain Section 46 approval.

Amendment 13 to the Israeli Privacy Protection Law significantly strengthens the PPA’s enforcement powers, requiring insurance agencies to ensure strict compliance in handling personal and sensitive data. Agencies must implement robust data security, transparency, and control measures to avoid substantial fines and regulatory sanctions.

The EU is advancing plans to redirect frozen Russian assets, valued at over €140 billion, to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction. This move could expose private asset holders, including Israelis with Russian citizenship, to potential financial risks.

In August 2025, the Israel Tax Authority (ITA) announced the launch of an expedited track for public institutions applying for recognition for donations purposes under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance [New Version].

In early September 2025, the Israeli Supreme Court issued its ruling on Youngster v. State of Israel, also known as the “Poland trips cartel case.” In this landmark ruling, the Supreme Court called for the imposition of much harsher sentences for restrictive arrangements between competitors (cartels). It also set a minimum sentence of nine months of incarceration for such offenses.

The United States President recently announced the imposition of new 25% to 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals, heavy-duty trucks, upholstered furniture, and kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The move is rocking markets and is likely to impact shipping costs, the furniture industry, and trade relations with various trading partners. It could also affect Israeli companies in various sectors.

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, a joint task force from the Bank of Israel, the Ministry of Finance, and the Israel Securities Authority published an interim report for public comments, proposing a major reform in the way financial institutions (mainly banks, TASE members, and other players) are paid for securities services and investment advice.

Prediction markets have experienced rapid growth in recent years, thanks to the emergence of platforms attracting millions of users, such as Kalshi and Polymarket. These platforms have proven successful in predicting the outcomes of diverse events.

The Israel Securities Authority (ISA) recently published audit reports scrutinizing the activities of various investment ventures and corporations that raised funds from the public without publishing a prospectus. The reports revealed a series of failures.

A significant development occurred last week at the interface between artificial intelligence and intellectual property following the settlement agreement reached by Anthropic in the class action lawsuit filed against it with the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

The Israel Competition Authority (ICA) published a draft consent decree with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Neopharm, requiring payments of over ILS 44 million by the companies and ILS 200,000 by a Neopharm executive, following indications of monopolistic abuse.

The US Federal Court of Appeals ruled recently that most of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as part of the trade wars are unlawful. However, the court decided that, for the time being, these tariffs will remain in effect. This is a landmark decision with potentially wide-ranging implications for the US and global economies, as well as for the balance of powers within the US federal government.

The Israeli Corporations Authority in the Ministry of Justice recently announced a significant expansion of its company extract service. This development marks an important change in the corporate landscape, substantially improving access to and transparency of comprehensive and material information regarding companies registered in Israel.

In May, the Ministry of Economy imposed a temporary guarantee on aluminum imports from China. As a result, Israeli aluminum importers have already reduced their orders from China by 50%. Simultaneously, access to the Turkish market has been almost entirely blocked for Israeli buyers.

On August 25, 2025, the Israel Tax Authority (ITA) published a new directive entitled “Voluntary Disclosure Procedure – Temporary Order.” The aim of this procedure is to encourage both Israeli and foreign residents who have committed tax offenses under Israeli law to correct their filings and submit truthful reports.

The Tel Aviv District Court has, for the first time, considered a request to enforce an ICSID award in Israel. In the case against Spain, the Court declined enforcement, holding that Israel was not the appropriate forum due to the absence of any substantive connection to Israel and the ongoing European legal controversy regarding the Energy Charter Treaty.