Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday nominated Prof. Leo Leiderman as the new Bank of Israel governor, according to a statement by the prime minister's office, Xinhua reported.
The nomination is not final and still awaits the approval of the Turkel Committee that is in charge of examining senior appointments in the Israeli public service.
"I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid for the trust they have given me," Leiderman said in response, according to the statement.
"I am excited to return to the Bank of Israel and I will work to aid the Israeli economy in the challenges that stand before us, " he added.
The nomination of Leiderman comes as Yaakov Frenkel, the designated governor, withdrew his candidacy following allegations of an alleged shoplifting incident in 2006.
Leiderman, an Argentinian native, served in the past 10 years as the economic advisor of Bank Hapoalim, the largest bank in Israel, and he mainly dealt with assessments and macro-economic forecasts in Israel and across the world.
The potential governor has a bachelor's degree in economics from the Hebrew University and Master's and Doctorate agrees from Chicago University. He has served as a professor at Tel Aviv University in the past 20 years and worked for 10 years in the Bank of Israel from the early 1990's.
The former governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, stepped down from his post on June 30, citing "personal reasons" for ending his tenure prematurely.
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