Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron has decided to appoint Prof. Michel Strawczynski, Director of the Bank of Israel Research Department, to serve as a member of the Monetary Committee. With this appointment, the Monetary Committee will consist of six members, and will operate as a full complement, after Andrew Abir, who was appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel, became a member of the Committee on the basis of his position. Prof. Strawczynski’s appointment takes effect on February 17, 2020, and he will continue to serve as Director of the Bank of Israel Research Department.
Pursuant to the Bank of Israel Law, 5770–2010, the Monetary Committee must consist of six members: the Governor (Chairman of the Committee), the Deputy Governor, a Bank of Israel employee appointed by the Governor, and three members from among the public, who are appointed by the Government. As of now, the members serving from among the public are Prof. Reuben Fronau, Prof. Zvi Hercowitz, and Prof. Moshe Hazan.
Prof. Straawczynski holds a doctorate in Economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and did his post-doctoral work at MIT. He began working at the Bank of Israel as an economist in the Research Department in 1993. Starting in 2000, he spent 11 years as a manager in the Research Department, during which time he headed the Macroeconomics and Policy Division for five years. In 2017, he was appointed Director of the Research Department. As a member of the Research Department’s management, Prof. Strawczynski led work on the national budget on behalf of the Bank of Israel, led the economic working group in the accession process to the OECD, and led official research on the earned income tax credit. The Research Department is entrusted with a major portion of the professional preparatory work on monetary policy at the Bank, and as part of his role as Director of the Department, Prof. Strawczynski participates in all meetings of the Monetary Department.
Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron said, “I thank Michel for his readiness to take on the additional responsibility as a member of the Monetary Committee. Michel has accumulated tremendous experience in working with the Committee since his appointment as Director of the Research Department. His ability to analyze macroeconomic developments in Israel has helped the Committee’s work in recent years, and will continue to serve him well in his position as a member of the Committee.”