Hundreds of influential Israeli economists are warning the government that it must make big economic changes quickly, including re-opening the country's budget, as the war with Hamas approaches its fourth week. The letter released Monday by the Israeli Economists' Forum calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich "to wake up and start responding to the tough challenges that the Israeli economy faces." More than 200,000 Israelis, mostly from the south, have been forced to relocate due to the war with Hamas. In turn, the economists want Israel to make an unprecedented move to reopen the 2024 budget, which was passed in May, after a bitter political fight. It started after the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel's history Oct. 7, when Hamas militants tore through Israel's southern barrier killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

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Persons: Lili Itamari, Ram Itamari, Aza, Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Bezalel Smotrich, That's, Israel Organizations: Economists, Finance, Tel Aviv University's Coller School of Management Locations: Israel, Gaza, Kibbutz Ruhama, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Syria