Israel
Bank of Israel director says central banks can 'overdo' liquidity
Andrew Abir identifies difficulty in providing the right amount of liquidity; says the risk of impairing market function was one worth taking
Israel annual report sees growth and inflation fall
Growth rate declines by 1.5% in 2012 but unemployment remains stable; inflation falls below target as schooling and mobile phone prices fall
Nalm 2013: Bank of Israel’s Abir challenges credit risk assumptions in reserve management
Head of market operations Andrew Abir asks how bonds and equities can be consolidated under one reserve management framework; insists credit rating agencies remain valuable
Bank of Israel likely to hold rates throughout 2013
Staff at Israeli central bank forecast steady growth and inflation over next year; say benchmark interest rate would remain unchanged
Stanley Fischer hints at successor as candidates emerge
Fischer says Bank of Israel deputy governor Karnit Flug was chosen on the basis she would be able to ‘function as governor’ when necessary; other potential candidates speak to CentralBanking.com
Bank of Israel paper advocates inflation sacrifice when wages are rigid
Research says controlling inflation requires a greater sacrifice of economic output and employment when there are frictions in the labour market
PMA annual report shows economic mismatch between Gaza and West Bank
Palestine Monetary Authority says growth in Gaza Strip ran four times faster than in the West Bank in 2011, but economic gap between regions persists
Bank of Israel unveils details of new shekel banknotes
New banknote series to include security features that are ‘among the world’s most advanced’; first notes due to be introduced in second half of 2013
Business cycle mirrors stock market turning points, Israel study says
Research published by the Bank of Israel finds stock market turning points can be used to forecast economic activity; seven-month delay before impact becomes evident
Bank of Israel moves to educate youth
An Israeli financial education programme has widened to include younger people; central bank says this will help strengthen the future position of the consumer in the financial sector
Bank of Israel optimistic on economic activity
A report on economic developments in Israel shows growth has continued at a moderate pace, increasing in the second quarter of the year, as other indicators paint a positive picture for future economic activity
Bank of Israel renovates website to improve user experience
Israeli central bank unveils a new website aimed at making information more easily available; content now available in Arabic for the first time
Bank of Israel report warns of further downward revision to growth
Monetary policy report for first half of 2012 shows continuation of moderate growth but says if current indications of a slowdown do not change, the forecast will have to be revised down
Israel’s Fischer expresses hope that living standards will overtake the West
Stanley Fischer says growth in Israel remains reasonable and above that of the West; warns government must press ahead with agreed fiscal measures to create ‘position of strength’
Bank of Israel warns of ‘lack of clarity’ in government fiscal policy
Report assesses domestic and external economic conditions affecting the Bank of Israel’s interest rate decision; low CPI, weak shekel and fiscal policy uncertainty contribute to rate hold
Fischer calls for Israeli government action on deficit
Bank of Israel governor says government’s decision to increase its fiscal deficit instead of raising taxes will hurt future generations; impact will be most acute should eurozone fragment
Bank of Israel annual survey reports increased banking system risk
Annual survey of Israeli banking system says risk increased during 2011; outlines regulatory changes made to address the problem
Bank of Israel paper underlines importance of fiscal discipline
Research paper compares policy responses to two crises; finds weak fiscal discipline prior to crisis can create significant problems for use of counter-cyclical fiscal and monetary policy
Bank of Israel unveils proposals to increase banking competition
Interim report sets out numerous measures to increase competition in Israel’s banking sector; says banking suffers from high concentration and low efficiency
Israel’s Fischer calls for government to cut deficit
Stanley Fischer says Israeli government must cut its budget deficit to prepare for possible economic shocks from Europe; argues government should aim for deficit of 2.5% of GDP
Bank of Israel review shows mixed economic outlook
Review of economic developments gives mixed assessment of economic outlook; says growth below potential but inflation on target
Israel’s Fischer advocates growth strategy in eurozone
Governor of Bank of Israel discusses eurozone crisis; says countries need not start fiscal consolidation immediately and should concentrate on growth
Bullion coin featuring menorah released in Israel
Third bullion coin in the Jerusalem Gold series is released; issuance in celebration of Jerusalem Day in Israel
Bank of Israel paper evaluates past monetary policy decisions
Discussion paper from the Bank of Israel investigates patterns in monetary policy decisions and their outcomes in the country