In 2005, the government approved National Outline Plan 35, which was intended to define the policy of planning and the placement of localities in Israel until 2020. The main points of the plan are strengthening existing localities and avoiding suburbanization, urban renewal, and strengthening public transport.
Since its inception, the current economic expansion has coincided with continued progress in globalization, and thus there has been disparity in business conditions depending on the extent of involvement with economies abroad. Recently released surveys indicate that business sentiment at small firms is weakening.