Israel knows how to work in English when it matters. Strikingly, during US President Donald Trump’s historic visit, we saw our political leadership quickly switch to English in their addresses to the Knesset plenum hall. One might think Israel is accessible to non-Hebrew speakers, especially driving down the highway, under multilingual road signs. Yet, a new study demonstrates how some of Israel’s most critical interfaces are behind a Hebrew wall.

Today, Israeli financial services are available in Hebrew only online and in official mobile applications. Startling new research by Anton Babich, published by The Forum for Economic Zionism, demonstrates the paucity of financial institutions’ investments into language accessibility. Of 10 banks and five credit card companies studied, not a single online site or application is fully accessible in English or Arabic.

Israel is a multilingual society held back by a monolingual digital financial system. Up to 4.5 million people in Israel speak a language other than Hebrew. The Jewish state is home to a population of 1.8 million foreign-born citizens, and at least 300,000 Israelis hold passports from English-speaking countries.

Among 2.1 million Israeli Arabs, hundreds of thousands cannot read Hebrew. Some 248,000 foreign residents, workers, students, and asylum seekers also live here legally and contribute to the economy. The language gap shapes the way money moves in Israel, creating bottlenecks when in-person appointments at the bank are required to complete basic transactions or when foreign professionals find it difficult to transfer or invest funds.

Looking ahead, as peace spreads throughout the region and foreign investment rebounds, Israel has an opportunity to emerge as a regional economic superpower. However, if only Hebrew speakers can use financial services independently, it’s simply counterproductive – and a national embarrassment.

The solution exists in plain sight. In Israel’s technology sector, localization, the process of building digital products that function in multiple languages, is already routine. The tools to solve this problem already exist, developed right here in our technology sector, where localization, the process of adapting digital products for multiple languages, is standard practice.

Today, many energy companies, airlines, and consumer applications already operate in English and Arabic. The infrastructure and expertise for multilingual digital services are already available inside Israel’s technology ecosystem. The banking system has simply not applied them.

Babich, himself a new immigrant working in Israel’s technology sector, outlines a practical, multilingual product road map. Public websites and written materials can be translated within three months. His work provides a practical path forward, with a road map for banks to translate public websites and written materials within three months. Core app functions such as balances, transfers, and payments can follow within six months. Full functionality across Hebrew, English, and Arabic can be achieved within a year.

The projected cost is about NIS 300,000 per bank. The financial returns his projections show are significant, with strong internal rates of return and measurable gains in customer engagement and operational efficiency.

Israel’s banks hold a unique position of trust and influence. They are the first touchpoint for citizens, immigrants, and investors who wish to participate in the country’s economy. The people who build, work, and create value here speak many languages, but they share one financial system.

In a country founded by immigrants, the language of finance should be one that every resident can read. This work does not require new laws. It does, however, require competence. Banks already maintain departments for product management, compliance, and innovation.

The same teams that test new payment features can test language accessibility. The same executives who approve marketing budgets can approve multilingual services. The return on investment is already modeled. The cost of inaction is visible in every crowded branch line and every frustrated customer who gives up halfway through a digital form.

The Economic Zionism Forum aims to identify and promote reforms that strengthen Israel’s business environment and increase its competitiveness. Addressing language accessibility in banking is achievable within existing resources and measurable in results.

Mr. Banking Supervisor, Mr. Bank CEO, tear down this Hebrew wall.

The writer is the founder of The Forum for Economic Zionism and a technology communications executive.