(Israel Government Press Office)
All five papers discuss the controversy over the effort to appoint a new Governor of the Bank of Israel:
Ma'ariv lauds the qualifications of Bank of Israel Acting Governor Dr. Karnit Flug for the post of Governor and asserts: "Nobody questions Flug's professional ability. Or her integrity." The author reminds her readers that former Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fischer, who was well acquainted with her, "thought that she was the most qualified person to run the system," but adds: "Netanyahu did not even seriously consider the possibility," because "He wanted a star." The paper hopes that Dr. Flug will yet be considered for the post, and that she will yet accept it, and muses: "What a source of pride it would be for Israel to have a woman head the banking system." The author concludes: "The farce over appointing a Governor must end, and there is someone to end it."
Yediot Aharonot suggests: "The problem does not start with the skeletons in the closets of the candidates for running the Bank of Israel, but with the people who are supposed to warn the Prime Minister over the complications of an unfit appointee; there aren't any. Netanyahu prefers sycophants, not advisers; personal servants, not partners." The author asserts: "As amusing as this story may be, it is embarrassing. In the end, the joke is on our Bank, our economy and our Government. A miserable combination has been created here between a Prime Minister who is certain he knows everything and a Finance Minister who has no clue."
Yisrael Hayom notes that Stanley Fischer announced his intention to step down well in advance and criticizes the Government for "postponing everything until the last minute," vis-à-vis appointing a successor. The author ventures that "Frankel's quitting the race for the post of Governor will be studied in academia. Not in the economics department, but in the political science, public administration and law departments, as will be Leiderman's mysterious disappearance." The paper notes that Fischer recommended his long-time deputy, Dr. Karnit Flug, and says: "Netanyahu and Lapid would do well to quickly offer her the job. She need not feel insulted. Even though Benny Gantz was not [former] Defense Minister Ehud Barak's preferred choice, he took the job as Chief-of-Staff by default and developed a good working relationship with his superior and with Barak's successor, Moshe Yaalon; Dr. Flug is similarly likely to succeed."
The Jerusalem Post laments the “fierce and unremitting fire” drawn by the nomination of Jacob Frenkel as Governor of the Bank of Israel, which caused him to withdraw his candidacy, and asserts: “The loss is entirely ours.” The editor believes that “The line between legitimately vetting candidates and spitefully hounding them can be exceedingly thin,” and concludes: “It was flagrantly crossed in Frenkel’s case.”
Haaretz approves of the effectiveness of the Turkel Committee (the senior civil service appointments committee), “as a sort of public purifier in the sphere of ethical standards, and in setting a personal example when it comes to senior officials, even when it is not called to perform the task,” and asserts: “It is crucial that political considerations do not affect the new composition of the Turkel Committee, in order to guarantee its efficacy.”
[Amnon Lord, Nahum Barnea and Dan Margalit wrote today’s articles in Ma'ariv, Yediot Aharonot and Yisrael Hayom, respectively.]