Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich maintains that the Israeli economy is 'strong' even after Moody's downgraded the country's sovereign rating by two levels. Late on Friday, Moody's cut Israel's credit rating for a second time this year, amid increased intensity of fighting with Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group and concerns that the economy will be more durably weakened by the military conflict than previously assessed. Smotrich reassures investors that the government will pass a 'responsible budget [for 2025] with required restraint measures.'