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The high credit rating reflects “the strength of the Israeli economy and the correct and responsible economic policy that we are leading on behalf of Israel’s citizens,” Netanyahu said. 

By: United with Israel Staff

The Standard and Poor’s (S&P) global credit rating agency announced Saturday that it has upgraded Israel from A+ to -AA, the highest rating Israel has ever had, putting it on par with the Czech Republic and Qatar.

Ynet News reported Sunday that the new rating is a very significant achievement for the Israeli economy and indicates confidence in the government’s ability to maintain a responsible fiscal policy.

On the practical level, the high rating will allow the government to raise funds under better terms.

Raising the rating to -AA puts Israel among a relatively small list of 17 countries and places it above others such as China and Japan.

S&P analysts noted the success of Israel’s government, despite internal coalition differences, in passing the 2017-2018 budget as well as that for 2019 – and more important, its success in maintaining fiscal discipline, Ynet reported.

S&P’s dramatic announcement came just days after global-ratings agency Moody’s changed Israel’s ‎outlook to “positive” from “stable” and affirmed its ‎A1 credit rating.‎

The Moody’s report, issued last month, noted the improved ‎economic and diplomatic ties with the moderate Arab ‎states and said the agency may upgrade Israel’s ‎credit rating again in the near future.‎

The report said it upgraded Israel’s economic ‎outlook to “positive” from “stable” over its solid ‎fiscal performance and economic resilience. ‎

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “the decision by Standard & Poor’s to raise Israel’s credit rating joins a similar decision by Moody’s. These decisions reflect the strength of the Israeli economy and the correct and responsible economic policy that we are leading on behalf of Israel’s citizens.”

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