Between a shaking national reality and sharpening professional responsibility
Dec 22, 2025
By: Itzik Simon
2025 Summary and Direction for the Coming Years
A Year That Cannot Be Separated from Its National Context
The year 2025 was not a year that could be addressed in purely professional terms. It opened and continued under the shadow of an ongoing war, unprecedented security events, and tense anticipation for the return of the hostages. This reality was not merely "background," but a living, daily reality that affected decision-making, the functioning of systems, and the ability of the entire economy to continue operating.
The construction industry as well, the leading engine of the Israeli economy, operated this year within a complex reality of labor shortages, planning uncertainty, delays and declining sales, alongside heightened safety risks and financing challenges.
Concurrently, the insurance market operated with greater caution, through controlled underwriting, sharpening of liability boundaries, tightening of conditions, and raising the bar of requirements.
Looking back, 2025 was a year in which the gap between routine and reality narrowed. Professional, managerial, and personal responsibility became more tangible, and at times more painful as well.
A test year for conduct in the construction and insurance industry
Beyond the national aspect, 2025 marked an advanced stage in a process that began earlier: a transition from an industry based primarily on reactive response to incidents, to an industry required to demonstrate systematic risk management, partly against the backdrop of dramatic changes in safety regulations and the significant entry of developers into the chain of liability.
This year we witnessed how insurance companies, reinsurers, and regulators are raising the bar of expectations. A policy, however good it may be, is no longer sufficient without a management infrastructure to support it. Documentation, procedures, division of responsibilities, ongoing control, and safety culture are no longer perceived as an appendix, but as a foundation.
Contractors and developers who operated with this understanding succeeded in maintaining insurance continuity, conducting professional dialogue with insurers, and avoiding surprises. Others discovered that the market had changed—sometimes at a costly delay.
For us as an agency, 2025 was a year of active presence, not only in the field, but also in professional discourse.
We held a large-scale professional conference on insurance, safety, and risk management in the construction industry, bringing together contractors, developers, insurance company personnel, regulators, and opinion leaders. The conference was not intended to “dovetail,” but to bring about real change, raise difficult questions, present trends, and discuss the gap between regulation, insurance, and actual conduct.
At the same time, we participated in international professional conferences, primarily conferences in the US and Europe, where we were exposed to a much more advanced discourse around risk management, the use of data, technology, artificial intelligence, and the integration of safety, engineering, and insurance. The comparison between the Israeli market and international markets is not always convenient, but it is essential. It allows us to understand where the world is going, and where we need to close the gaps.
Our presence in the past year: from a story to a discourse
Several clear insights emerge from the past year:
One, responsibility in the construction industry is expanding. Not only is the contractor in charge, but also the developer, project managers, office holders, and the entire system.
Second, insurance returns to its natural place: not as a magic solution after an event, but as a tool that supports proper conduct in advance. Without risk management, insurance becomes more expensive, shrinks, and sometimes even loses relevance.
Third, knowledge, professionalism, and transparency become a competitive advantage. Those who understand the language, expectations, and limitations of the market operate from a stronger position.
Key insights from 2025
2026 is expected to be a real test year. Regulatory changes, led by the new safety regulations, are not just a technical change but a perceptual change. They require the industry to move from declarations to implementation, and from intuitive behavior to documented and controlled behavior.
For contractors and developers, the meaning is clear: those who do not prepare in advance will not be able to "make up for the gaps" afterwards.
For insurance consultants and insurance company personnel, a move to a deeper dialogue is required, one that understands a project, discusses engineering, safety, and technology, and not just understanding the policy.
For us as an agency, the commitment is to continue to be a comprehensive, professional, and direct entity that helps our clients, contractors, developers, appraisers, and tenants in urban renewal, navigate a complex and not always forgiving reality.
Looking ahead: 2026 and beyond
To conclude
The year 2025 was not just another year in the construction and insurance industry, and 2026 will not be an automatic continuation of the past. Reality demands a broad perspective, shared responsibility, and genuine professional dialogue among all parties operating in the industry.
We – Itzik Simon Agency, operating for years at the heart of the construction, insurance, and risk management industry – enter the coming years with experience, humility, and commitment: to continue learning, to continue asking questions, to continue pushing for improvement and implementation of lessons learned, and to continue accompanying the industry during a period in which professionalism is not a luxury, but a basic requirement.
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