The recent dispute between the Governor of The Bank of Israel and the management of Bank Hapoalim over the conduct of the bank's executives raises serious questions. The issues at hand go beyond the immediate influence of both The Bank of Israel and Bank Hapoalim and could impact the Israeli population at large:
- What does it mean to privately own a public institution?
- What are the responsibilities of such an institution towards the shareholding public?
- What tasks must the regulator fulfill when overseeing the institution's conduct?
- What role does the media play in crises of this nature and what interests guide the media’s coverage and perspective?
On Thursday, June 18th, the Israel Democracy Institute will host representatives of The Bank of Israel, Bank Hapoalim, the media, and leading economists and academics around IDI’s George Shultz Roundtable to discuss these vital questions.