Jump to content

Bank of Israel

Coordinates: 31°46′53″N 35°12′04″E / 31.78139°N 35.20111°E / 31.78139; 35.20111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by O.maximov (talk | contribs) at 12:14, 21 February 2024 (→The 1960s and 1970s). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bank of Israel
בנק ישראל‎ (Hebrew)
بنك إسرائيل (Arabic)
HeadquartersKiryat HaMemshala, Jerusalem, Israel
Established24 August 1954 (1954-08-24)
OwnershipGovernment of Israel (Ministry of Finance)[1]
GovernorAmir Yaron (2018-present)
Central bank of Israel
CurrencyIsraeli new shekel
ILS (ISO 4217)
ReservesUS$206 billion
(about ₪664 billion) (March 2022)[2]
Bank rate4.5% (April 2023)[3]
Preceded byBank Leumi Le-Israel
Websiteboi.org.il
Bank of Israel headquarters in Jerusalem, Israel.

The Bank of Israel (Template:Lang-he, Template:Lang-ar) is the central bank of Israel. The bank's headquarters is located in Kiryat HaMemshala in Jerusalem with a branch office in Tel Aviv. The current governor is Amir Yaron.[4]

The primary objective of the Bank of Israel is to maintain price stability and the stability of the financial system in Israel.[5][6] It also administers and implements monetary policy in Israel,[7] conducts foreign exchange operations, supervises and regulates the banking system,[8] takes care of the foreign reserves[9] and operations of the financial market infrastructure. The Bank of Israel has, under Article 41 and 44 of its Statute, the exclusive right to issue Israeli Shekel banknotes and coins.[10]

History

Establishment and Early Years

When Israel gained independence in 1948, the power of note issuance was vested with the Anglo-Palestine Bank, which was refounded as Bank Leumi in 1950. This was done due to the urgency at the time to produce notes. Monetary policy and banking supervision remained controlled by the Ministry of Finance.

Since a central bank is considered a must in modern countries, in march 1951, a committee was founded called the "committee to establish a state bank". In the committee were Eliezer Kaplan, Levi Eshkol and others. The committee sent its secretary to the United States to study the way state banks function as well as advised ask the UN for expert advisors. The committee established the aim for the bank to be the stablization of the currency, the keeping of high levels of production, employment and earnings.

The foreign experts advised to grant the bank of Israel a standing independent from the ministry of finance, in order to avoid political influences on decisions and the handing out of debt to different sectors. It was advised the bank would be managed by committee members representing the various sectors in the Israeli public. The monetary committee of the Knesset preferred that the bank be run by the governor alone who would be under governmental supervision, that way the bank could prove an effective way to guide the financial markets of the country. In the end it was decided to grant the central bank limited independence, but according to the law it was obligated to cover government expenditure when needed. In 2010, the law was changed and since the Bank of Israel has full independence in setting its monetary policy.

The Bank of Israel was founded on 24 August 1954, when the Knesset passed the Bank of Israel Law, which ceded the currency issuing and regulatory functions of the Ministry of Finance to the newly formed bank. Control over foreign currency exchange was not given to the bank until 1978. The bank was made completely independent in 1985 and since 1992, the bank manages its monetary policy so as to meet the inflation target set by the Israeli government - which is today a range of between 1 and 3 percent per annum, considered as price stability. Additionally, the bank manages the country's Foreign Exchange Reserves.

The bank began operating under the management of its first governor, David Horowitz. The department responsible for issuing banknotes was transferred to the Bank of Israel, which later became the currency department, and the unit for supervising banks from the Ministry of Finance, which also became a department in the bank. Over time, additional units and departments were established in the bank, including the monetary department, the foreign currency supervision department (transferred to the bank in 1978), the foreign currency department, and the research department.

One of the factors that led to the accelerated decision to establish a central bank was the government's difficulty in supervising credit allocation and the lack of oversight over the banking system. Until the establishment of the bank, the bank supervision department was a small division within the Ministry of Finance, lacking the tools to oversee the complex banking system, which included dozens of banking institutions and cooperative credit societies scattered geographically throughout Israel. Through the establishment of a central bank, the government hoped to improve its control over the banking system and credit allocation. After the establishment of the Bank of Israel, the banking system underwent a process of consolidation, during which cooperative societies were merged into larger banks. This trend was encouraged by both the Bank of Israel and the government, as it facilitated government and bank control over credit allocation.

The establishment of the bank raised hopes for reducing government intervention in the economy and decreasing concentration, although in practice, the result was the opposite – increased government involvement. Some anticipated this development and sought to postpone the establishment of the Bank of Israel, but were unsuccessful.

The 1960s and 1970s

David Horowitz served as the bank's governor for 17 years. His tenure as governor was characterized in its early years by relative economic stability, rapid growth, and the absence of significant inflation until the early 1960s. In 1962, due to rising living standards and consumption leading to the danger of inflationary pressures (annual inflation reached 9%), wage increases, and a deficit in the balance of payments, a significant devaluation of the pound occurred in 1962 by Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, from 1.80 pounds to the dollar to 3 pounds to the dollar, a devaluation that did not solve the exposed problems. Following the devaluation and budget difficulties, the treasury shifted to an austere fiscal policy.

21st century

In 2010, the Bank of Israel was ranked first among central banks for its efficient functioning, according to IMD's World Competitiveness Yearbook.[11]

In March 2010, the Knesset approved a new Bank of Israel Law which took effect on 1 June 2010.[12] The new law defines the goals of the bank and gives the bank independence in determining its policy tools and the way of implementing them. The law changed the framework in which major decisions are made at the Bank of Israel. Decisions regarding the interest rate and monetary policy, in general, are made by a Monetary Committee, while the managerial decisions are approved by a Supervisory Council. This brings the Bank of Israel more in line with the decision making procedures of other financial institutions.

Buildings

The current headquarters in Jerusalem was designed by the architecture office of Arieh Sharon and his son, Eldar Sharon. They won the first prize for the project in 1966 and worked at the design until 1974.[13] The building was inaugurated in 1981. The design resembles an inverted pyramid and was inspired by the Boston City Hall. The building underwent a major overhaul and renovation between 2015 and 2018.

Banking Supervision

One of the function of Bank of Israel is the Banking Supervision. The Banking Supervision Department is the regulator of the banking system. By virtue of its roles, it is responsible for:

- Protecting the public interest by maintaining the stability and resilience of the banking system

- Ensuring fairness in the relationship between banks and their customers

- Promoting competition and efficiency in the banking system

- Securing the financial assets that the public deposits in banks

- Ensuring the continuity of banking services provided to the public

Governors

See also

References

  1. ^ Weidner, Jan (2017). "The Organisation and Structure of Central Banks" (PDF). Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek.
  2. ^ "Israel Adds Yuan to $206 Billion Reserves in 'Philosophy' Change". Bloomberg.com. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. ^ Katz, Aharon (3 April 2023). "Bank of Israel hikes interest rate to 4.5%". en.globes.co.il.
  4. ^ 'Karnit Flug named Bank of Israel governor', OCTOBER 20, 2013
  5. ^ "תמיכה בפעילותם הסדירה וביציבותם של השווקים הפיננסיים" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. ^ "חוק בנק ישראל, התש"ע-2010" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  7. ^ "ניהול המדיניות המוניטרית" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  8. ^ "פיקוח והסדרה של מערכת הבנקאות" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  9. ^ "החזקת יתרות מטבע החוץ של המדינה וניהולן" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  10. ^ "הנפקת מטבע, והסדרת מערכת המזומנים במשק" (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  11. ^ 'Israel's economy most durable in face of crises', Ynet 05.20.2010
  12. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website
  13. ^ 'Sharon Architects' homepage (in Hebrew). Accessed 10 Jan 2022.
  14. ^ Barkat, Amiram (2018-11-14). "Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg becomes acting BoI Governor". Globes. Retrieved 2018-11-14.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bank of Israel.

31°46′53″N 35°12′04″E / 31.78139°N 35.20111°E / 31.78139; 35.20111

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Bank_of_Israel&oldid=1209340675"