Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon are interviewing candidates for the appointment of the new Bank of Israel Governor. Prof . Efraim Sadka, Professor Emeritus at the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University and a member of the Bank of Israel Supervisory Council was interviewed this afternoon, the Prime Minister's Office said, and Prof. Ben-Zion Zilberfarb of Bar-Ilan University, a former director-general of the Ministry of Finance was interviewed several days ago and Dr. Mario Blejer, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Argentina for the job is due to be interviewed later today.
Other names that have been mentioned include National Economic Council chairman Prof. Avi Simhon who meets the criteria set by Netanyahu. Simhon has said that he is not interested in the job but sources close to the prime minister say that he would not refuse the position if it were officially offered to him.
According to an understanding between them, Netanyahu will propose candidates and Kahlon can exercise a veto.
The current Bank of Israel Governor Dr. Karnit Flug ends her five year term of office on November 12. If no appointment is made by then her deputy Dr. Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg will assume the position although her term of office ends in February 2019.
Back in 2013 when Stanley Fischer stepped down mid-term to return to the US and recommended that he be succeeded by his deputy Flug, Netanyahu and then Minister of Finance Yair Lapid failed to find an appropriate candidate. Flug was ultimately appointed by default, becoming the first ever woman to serve as Bank of Israel Governor.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 19, 2018
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