Israeli cabinet approves Amir Yaron as Central Bank governor

Israeli cabinet approves Amir Yaron as Central Bank governor
Israeli-American Amir Yaron's nomination as Israel's central bank governor has been backed by the cabinet on Sunday.
2 min read
18 November, 2018
Amir Yaron's nomination has been approved [University of Pennsylvania]

The Israeli cabinet has approved the appointment of Amir Yaron, an Israeli-American economist, as the next governor of Israel's central bank, according to reports on Sunday.

The Israeli cabinet voted Yaron in during the weekly cabinet meeting, which came 10 days after his appointment was approved by the top advisory committee for appointments to the most senior posts in the public service.

Last month, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon nominated Yaron at a joint press conference.

The final decision lies with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who is expected to back Yaron.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is scavenging to save his government as threats of an early election loom.

Netanyahu's ruling coalition was left with a single seat majority in parliament after a walkout Wednesday by former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his hawkish Yisrael Beitenu Party.

Lieberman quit over a Gaza ceasefire deal, which on Tuesday ended the worst flare-up between Israel and the territory's Islamist rulers Hamas since a 2014 war.

Kahlon's centre-right Kulanu party holds 10 parliamentary seats and is vital to the survival of Netanyahu's ruling coalition.

While the next elections are currently scheduled for November 2019, Kahlon has called for polls to be held "as soon as possible".

"I'm going to meet Moshe Kahlon before the weekly minister's council Sunday for one last attempt to convince him not to bring down the government," Netanyahu, who heads the Likud party, said Saturday on Twitter.