For decades, Zionism has been discussed primarily in emotional, historical, and political terms. In today’s reality, that framework is no longer sufficient.
If Israel’s future is to be not only defended but built, the conversation must expand to include a pragmatic dimension: Economic Zionism.
Across the globe, Jewish and allied capital is seeking stability, long-term values, and moral alignment. At the same time, Israel faces structural national challenges, rapid population growth, infrastructure gaps, housing shortages, and the need to strengthen strategic regions beyond the traditional center. These realities are not separate; they are fundamentally linked.
Yet many international investors still view Israel as either a high-risk environment or a purely emotional commitment, rather than as a sophisticated, investable economy with durable long-term fundamentals. This perception gap carries a cost, not only for investors, but for the state of Israel.
The data tells a more nuanced story
Despite global uncertainty, Israel remains deeply integrated into international real estate capital flows. Industry reports cited by The Jerusalem Post indicate that in 2024 Israeli investors ranked among the top seven foreign investors in European commercial real estate, with investments exceeding $2.3 billion, and among the top ten investors in U.S. commercial real estate, with approximately $578 million invested that year. These figures reflect confidence in long-term assets, not sentiment.
At the same time, foreign direct investment into Israel continues at scale. While annual volumes fluctuate, government and OECD data show that tens of billions of dollars continue to flow into the Israeli economy across sectors, including real assets. Within commercial real estate, market research consistently points to sustained demand for logistics, industrial facilities, and income-producing properties, driven by demographic growth, technological activity, and structural undersupply.
But capital alone is not the issue. The real question is "how and where it is deployed".
Short-term, speculative investments may generate attention, but they rarely generate national resilience. By contrast, long-term investments rooted in infrastructure, employment centers, and strategic geographic development produce something far more valuable: stability, continuity, and shared national strength.
This is where economic Zionism moves from ideology to practice.
Investing in Israel should not be reduced to philanthropy, nor treated as a purely opportunistic transaction. It is a responsibility and an opportunity to align financial growth with national impact. Development land that enables future housing, logistics hubs that strengthen supply chains, hospitality projects that reinforce tourism resilience, and income-producing assets that anchor regional economies are not merely “deals.” They are components of state-building.
For many international investors, hesitation stems not from lack of interest but from lack of clarity. Currency exposure, regulatory complexity, planning law, and local market dynamics can appear opaque from afar. Without credible local expertise, even well-intentioned capital pauses, and momentum is lost.
With Israel’s population projected to double by mid-century, today’s investment decisions will shape the country’s economic and geographic reality for generations. Patient, disciplined, values-driven capital will determine whether growth is strategic, or fragmented.
Zionism in the 21st century must evolve. Pride alone does not build cities. Emotion alone does not create infrastructure. What Israel needs now is partnership, between global capital and local insight, between values and execution.
Economic Zionism is not profitable at any cost. It is profit with purpose, growth with responsibility, and investment that strengthens both portfolios and the nation itself.
That conversation is no longer optional. It is overdue.
Ester Ben David is a real estate advisor and investor specializing in strategic commercial real estate and development opportunities in Israel, working with international investors and family offices.
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