An increase of 9,585 rubles to the pension: The Israelis who will be left without the benefit
A Russian word surged by 1,000% to the top of hot searches in Israel, against the backdrop of reports on pension increases in Russia starting in September. However, an examination of the agreement with Israel reveals that one of the prominent benefits — doubling the fixed component for those aged 80 and over — is not paid to pension recipients living in Israel. At the same time, thousands of eligible individuals are still facing difficulties in receiving funds.
A Russian word has jumped to the top of Google searches in Israel. In less than an hour, the word "выплата" (payment/allowance) broke into the top hot searches on Google in Israel.
The word recorded a sudden jump of about 1,000% with over 200 searches within a short time window. This unusual surge comes in parallel with a wave of reports in the Russian media regarding a series of updates and increases in pension payments that will come into effect this September.
At the center of the news in Russia is the announcement of doubling the "fixed payment" (фиксированная выплата) for pensioners who have reached the age of 80, as well as for other eligible individuals.
The connection between the trend on Google and the news in Russia is particularly interesting in Israel, where a large population of Russian speakers and pension recipients live. At the time of signing the social security agreement between Israel and Russia (which entered into force in 2017), the Russian Ministry of Labor estimated the number of potential pension recipients in Israel at about 100,000 people. However, an examination of the agreement reveals that for Russian pension recipients living in Israel, the picture is different. According to Article 11(3) of the agreement and the guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Labor, the "fixed payment" is not paid at all to those residing in Israel.
This means that the central benefit that made headlines in Russia — doubling the fixed component for those aged 80 and over — does not apply to Russian pension recipients living in Israel.
Beyond the question of eligibility for the new benefits, Russian pension recipients in Israel are currently facing a real crisis. According to data from the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, about 17,000 pension recipients in Israel, whose payments are transferred through the mediation of the National Insurance Institute, have been affected over the past few years by difficulties in transferring pension funds from Russia. It was reported that since the beginning of 2025, difficulties have resumed on this route.
Representatives of the Bank of Israel clarified in the committee that the problem does not lie with Israeli banks refusing to accept the money, but is likely related to foreign banking institutions in the chain of fund transfers, against the backdrop of global sanctions. The combination of these factors presents a complex reality for eligible individuals in Israel: on one hand, exposure to reports in Russia about pension benefits that do not apply to them, and on the other hand, ongoing difficulties in receiving the pension funds that are already due to them.
It should be noted that the appearance of words in Russian or other languages in Google Trends is not common. Thus, in the last few hours, the search for the word Germany in Russian ("германия") also jumped to the top of the searches in light of reports that Germany plans to spend almost 12 billion euros on long-range weapons to deter Russia.
