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The Bank of Israel kept its policy rate at 3.25% on October 21, pausing its easing cycle a week before the country's general election.

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Bank of Israel held rates on Mar 30, 2026; policy rate 4.75% and growth forecast cut to 2.0%, prompting shekel weakness and higher short yields (Bloomberg).

The Bank of Israel Monetary Committee maintained the interest rate at 4%, halting a streak of two consecutive 0.25% cuts implemented in November and January.

Zum achten Mal in Folge bleibt der Leitzins der Bank of Israel unverändert. Der Krieg in Gaza prägt die wirtschaftliche Strategie des Landes.

Investing.com - The Bank of Israel (BoI) is likely to extend its rate pause at its upcoming policy meeting on August 20, maintaining the current 4.50% policy rate, according to a recent UBS analysis. The central bank maintained a hawkish stance at its July meeting, citing elevated domestic and global uncertainty, tight labor market conditions, and risks of increased demand amid supply constraints, while providing no clear guidance on potential rate cuts. Recent inflation data has reinforced expectations for continued policy caution, with June inflation reaching 3.3%, exceeding market expectations of 3.1%. UBS analysts anticipate the BoI will only consider monetary easing at its September or November meetings, with decisions contingent on incoming economic data and developments in regional security dynamics. The bank’s cautious monetary policy approach, combined with favorable interest rate carry and broad dollar weakness, is expected to provide support for the Israeli shekel, according to the UBS assessment. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C. AI computing powers are changing the stock market. Investing.com's ProPicks AI includes 6 winning stock portfolios chosen by our advanced AI. In 2024 alone, ProPicks AI identified 2 stocks that surged over 150%, 4 additional stocks that leaped over 30%, and 3 more that climbed over 25%. Which stock will be the next to soar?

By Steven Scheer and Charlotte Greenfield JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Bank of Israel left short-term interest rates unchanged on Monday citing "geopolitical uncertainty" and saying inflation remained above the target range despite it easing in May. The central bank left its benchmark rate at 4.50% for the 12th meeting in a row. "In view of the geopolitical uncertainty, the interest rate path will be determined in accordance with the convergence of inflation to its target range, stability in the financial markets, economic activity, and fiscal policy," the bank said in a statement announcing the decision. Its last move was to reduce the rate by 25 basis points in January 2024 after inflation eased and economic growth slowed in the early days of the Gaza war. It has kept policy steady since then and said it is in no rush to ease again while inflation remains above target. Ten of 11 analysts polled by Reuters had expected no rate move on Monday. One predicted a 25 bps rate cut due to the end of a 12 day Israel-Iran war that saw Israel’s risk premium slide and the shekel appreciate sharply. The annual inflation rate eased to 3.1% in May from 3.6% in April but remained above the government’s 1-3% annual target. The bank said that it forecast inflation would ease to within its target range in coming months and be around the midpoint of that range in a year’s time. However, it noted that risks remained that could affect the inflation outlook. "In the Committee’s assessment, there are several risks for a possible acceleration of inflation or for it not converging to the target range: geopolitical developments and their impact on economic activity, an increase in demand alongside supply constraints, and worsening global terms of trade," the bank said. The economy grew by an annualised 3.7% in the first quarter after a 1% expansion for all of 2024 due to the war. Economic uncertainty has lingered due to the 21-month-old conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, while Israeli officials hold indirect talks with Hamas, aimed at a U.S.-brokered Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire deal. Don't miss out on the next big opportunity! Stay ahead of the curve with ProPicks AI – 6 model portfolios fueled by AI stock picks with a stellar performance this year... In 2024 alone, ProPicks AI identified 2 stocks that surged over 150%, 4 additional stocks that leaped over 30%, and 3 more that climbed over 25%. That's an impressive track record. With portfolios tailored for Dow stocks, S&P stocks, Tech Stocks, and Mid Cap stocks, you can explore various wealth-building strategies. So if DSCT is on your watchlist, it could be very wise to know whether or not it made the ProPicks AI lists.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -All five members of the Bank of Israel’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.5% on May 26, according to minutes of the meeting issued by the central bank on Monday, citing worries over inflation. Due to Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza, the committee was focusing on stabilizing the markets and reducing uncertainty, alongside price stability and supporting economic activity, it said in a statement. Discussions centred on economic activity, which continued to recover moderately, it said, against a background of high domestic and global uncertainty. "The interest rate path will be determined in accordance with the convergence of inflation to its target, continued stability in the financial markets, economic activity, and fiscal policy," the Bank of Israel said. The central said that Ori Heffetz, who joined the MPC on May 25, decided not to participate in the voting. The committee will return to a full six members beginning with the July 7 policy meeting. A main concern for policymakers was a rise in the annual inflation rate to 3.6% in April, staying above its 1-3% target, although it acknowledged much of the gain was due to the impact of flights abroad. Still, MPC members expect inflation to take longer to move back within its target. "In the committee’s assessment, there are several risks for a possible acceleration of inflation or for its not entering the target range — the geopolitical developments and their impacts on economic activity, supply constraints, a deterioration in global terms of trade, and shekel volatility," the minutes said. The labour market, it added, remained tight but the most recent data showed some moderation. On May 27, Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron told Reuters that monetary policy needed to remain "cautious" given the uncertain geopolitical situation and near-term inflation environment, with policymakers ready to delay any rate cuts until inflation eased. "If we don’t see some of those (inflationary) corrections, it might take a little bit longer (to lower rates). And if it does take longer, we will stay restrictive for longer," he said. Which stock should you buy in your very next trade? AI computing powers are changing the stock market. Investing.com's ProPicks AI includes 6 winning stock portfolios chosen by our advanced AI. In 2024 alone, ProPicks AI identified 2 stocks that surged over 150%, 4 additional stocks that leaped over 30%, and 3 more that climbed over 25%. Which stock will be the next to soar?

(Bank of Israel corrects dates in paragraph 4 of story published on May 25) JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel’s cabinet approved the appointment of Ori Heffetz to the Bank of Israel’s monetary policy committee, the central bank said on Sunday in a move that will bring the panel back to its full six members for the first time in two and a half years. Heffetz’s tenure is effective immediately but he will not vote at Monday’s interest rates decision since he was not present in all the rounds of discussions and monetary analysis in recent weeks. His first vote will be at the subsequent meeting on July 7. He specialises in macroeconomics and monetary policy, economic policy, and empirical, experimental and behavioural economics. Heffetz has served as an economics professor at the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University since 2005 and at the Hebrew University since 2015. Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron said that Heffetz "has rich and relevant professional experience and I am sure he will contribute greatly to the work of the committee." By law, Israel’s policy setting committee is meant to have six members - three from the Bank of Israel including the governor and deputy governor, and three from the public. In January 2023, Moshe Hazan, a Tel Aviv University economics professor, quit the MPC to fight the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary - which has since been shelved - and no one had been chosen to replace Hazan until Heffetz was nominated by a search committee earlier this year. Current voting members from the Bank of Israel include Yaron, his deputy Andrew Abir and research chief Adi Brender, along with non-central bank economists Naomi Feldman and Zvi Hercowitz. At the outset of Israel’s war with Hamas, the central bank reduced its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points in January 2023 to 4.5%, having sharply raised it previously to battle inflation. It has kept the rate unchanged since then due to inflationary pressures stemming from the now 19-month old conflict, including labour and supply constraints. Inflation rose to 3.6% in April, well above the government’s 1-3% annual target rate. Economic growth has been weak due to the war - only 0.9% in 2024 but increasing to an annualised 3.4% in the first quarter of this year. Should you invest $2,000 in DSCT right now? Before you buy stock in DSCT, consider this: ProPicks AI are 6 easy-to-follow model portfolios created by Investing.com for building wealth by identifying winning stocks and letting them run. Over 150,000 paying members trust ProPicks to find new stocks to buy – driven by AI. The ProPicks AI algorithm has just identified the best stocks for investors to buy now. The stocks that made the cut could produce enormous returns in the coming years. Is DSCT one of them?

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Stanley Fischer, who helped shape modern economic theory during a career that included heading the Bank of Israel and serving as vice chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, has died at the age of 81. The Bank of Israel said he died on Saturday night but did not give a cause of death. Fischer was born in Zambia and had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. As an academic at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fischer trained many of the people who went on to be top central bankers, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as well as Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank president. Fischer served as chief economist at the World Bank, and first deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund during the Asian financial crisis and was then vice chairman at Citigroup (NYSE:C) from 2002 to 2005. During an eight-year stint as Israel’s central bank chief from 2005-2013, Fischer helped the country weather the 2008 global financial crisis with minimal economic damage, elevating Israel’s economy on the global stage, while creating a monetary policy committee to decide on interest rates like in other advanced economies. He was vice chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2017 and served as a director at Bank Hapoalim (TASE:POLI) in 2020 and 2021. Current Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron praised Fischer’s contribution to the Bank of Israel and to advancing Israel’s economy as "truly significant". The soft-spoken Fischer - who played a role in Israel’s economic stabilisation plan in 1985 during a period of hyperinflation - was chosen by then Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as central bank chief. Netanyahu, now prime minister, called Fischer a "great Zionist" for leaving the United States and moving to Israel to take on the top job at Israel’s central bank. "He was an outstanding economist. In the framework of his role as governor, he greatly contributed to the Israeli economy, especially to the return of stability during the global economic crisis," Netanyahu said, adding that Stanley - as he was known in Israel - proudly represented Israel and its economy worldwide. "He played a huge role in strengthening Israel’s economy, its remarkable resilience, and its strong reputation around the world," Herzog said. "He was a world-class professional, a man of integrity, with a heart of gold. A true lover of peace."

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Bank of Israel left short-term interest rates unchanged for an 11th straight meeting on Monday after a surprising spike in April inflation, and as economic uncertainty persists due to the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. The central bank left its benchmark rate at 4.50%. It reduced the rate by 25 basis points in January 2024 after inflation eased and economic growth slowed amid the Gaza war, but has kept policy steady since and said it is in no rush to ease again while inflation remains above target. All 14 analysts polled by Reuters had expected no rate move on Monday. With taxes and electricity and water prices rising at the start of this year and airfares increasing last month as foreign airlines cancel flights to Tel Aviv, the annual inflation rate gained to 3.6% in April - above expectations of 3.1% - from 3.6% in March and remained above the government’s 1-3% annual target. The economy grew by an annualised 3.4% in the first quarter after a 1% expansion for all of 2024 due to the war.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The Bank of Israel building is seen in Jerusalem June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo IBIF35 -1.53% JERUSALEM (Reuters) -All five members of the Bank of Israel’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.5% on April 7, according to minutes of the meeting issued by the central bank on Monday. "The interest rate path will be determined in accordance with the convergence of inflation to its target, continued stability in the financial markets, economic activity, and fiscal policy," it said. Which stock should you buy in your very next trade? With valuations skyrocketing in 2024, many investors are uneasy putting more money into stocks. Unsure where to invest next? Get access to our proven portfolios and discover high-potential opportunities. In 2024 alone, ProPicks AI identified 2 stocks that surged over 150%, 4 additional stocks that leaped over 30%, and 3 more that climbed over 25%. That's an impressive track record. With portfolios tailored for Dow stocks, S&P stocks, Tech stocks, and Mid Cap stocks, you can explore various wealth-building strategies.