According to“Euromoney”, Israel scored in total 68.2 points, out of the maximum 100, in the 2006 rankings. Israel is down two places

The study show that despite of the war in Lebanon, the economy will grow by 4.5% this year, beating the OECD average of 3.1%

Exports to the US grew by 98% over the corresponding period in 2005, to $1.17 billion; Exports to Eastern Europe and the Far East rose by 69%. The industry employs 7,000 workers

The 2006 Index of Economic Freedom, published last week by the Heritage Foundation and “The Wall Street Journal”, ranks Israel in the 36th place

Israel is ranked by “The Economist” at 23 on its list of business-friendly economies with a relatively high score of 7.8 points out of a possible 10

The Central Bureau of Statistics ( CBS ) published last week its latest population report indicating that Israel’s population is projected to cross the 7 million mark in early March, reaching 7,006,000

In its recent edition, published February 6th, Forbes rated Israel in 28th place (among 135 countries rated) on its first Capital Hospitality Index of investor-friendly countries

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) reported last week that Israel's industrial exports to the European Union (EU), excluding diamonds, rose 10.6% in 2005 compared with 2004 to a total of $8.3 billion