On Monday, bizi, Isracard’s business platform, and the Jewish Federations of North America said their small-business assistance efforts had extended about NIS 135 million in subsidized credit to roughly 1,500 businesses across Israel since the partnership began in early 2025, according to a company statement. The partners stated that the loans targeted firms affected by the war, whether through declining revenue, reserve duty, or proximity to conflict zones.
The statement said the fund has helped preserve about 15,000 jobs and support economic stability for more than 50,000 Israelis in roughly 100 cities and communities. It added that businesses using the financing can save up to NIS 24,000 a year in funding costs, as Israeli businesses continue to face pressure tied to the broader economic toll of the war and the disruption to small businesses across the country.
According to the statement, more than NIS 90 million has already been repaid and returned to the fund, allowing the money to be recycled to additional borrowers. The revolving structure is designed to turn each repayment into fresh credit for another business, rather than a one-time intervention.
The companies said about one-third of the supported businesses are owned by reservists, about one-third operate near conflict lines, and about one-third are microbusinesses with up to five employees. They presented the figures as evidence that the fund is reaching companies facing some of the heaviest wartime disruption.
The loans are offered at prime minus 1%, in amounts of up to NIS 600,000, with an optional grace period of up to three months and repayment terms of up to 24 months, according to the statement. The companies said the financing is provided without collateral and through a digital process intended to reduce bureaucracy.
The fund is open to customers of all banks and is intended for businesses with at least two years of operating history, the statement said. It added that applications can be completed digitally within minutes and that approved funds are transferred within one business day.
“Small businesses are the backbone of the Israeli economy,” Eyal Ben-Haim, deputy CEO and head of Isracard’s business division, said in the statement. Becky Caspi, CEO of the Israeli office of the Jewish Federations of North America, said the repayment cycle creates an ongoing circle of support, with each returned loan helping finance another business.
Source:
www.jpost.com
