Israel

Overdue wages to public sector workers nearly sparked a major long-term strike in late September. BMI View: Although the government eventually backed down, it has a major backlog... 2004-10-04

We are forecasting real GDP growth of 1.9% for 2004, yet there is some upside risk to this and we are likely to amend our forecast slightly. However, despite progress on the fiscal... 2004-09-10

Relations with the EU have deteriorated following government threats levelled at Syria. The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana criticised Israel for making threats towards Syria... 2004-09-08

Government threats against Syria following the Be'er Sheba attacks which killed 16 people in August were given further weight by the adoption of resolution 1559. BMI View: In view... 2004-09-07

e expect the shekel to end the year at around ILS4.6/US$, which currently looks feasible given that in August it was trading at ILS4.55/US$. In the absence of much intervention from... 2004-08-13

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will not face charges over the so-called Greek island affair, following a decision made by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz in June. Sharon's political... 2004-07-07

The government has ordered the defence ministry to re-route the West Bank barrier in certain areas, following a High Court ruling. BMI View: The court ruling is a reminder that despite... 2004-07-05

Our deficit expectations for this year are higher than the government's - we are anticipating the budget deficit to be equivalent to 5.0% of GDP, while the administration is committed... 2004-07-05

Our forecast of 1.9% GDP growth this year is predicated on a recovery of high-tech exports and an improvement in private demand. The latest data shows strong exports of US$2.3bn in... 2004-06-10

Despite the cancellation of his trip to Washington in early May, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's relations with US President George W. Bush are at a high. Although his own Likud party,... 2004-05-14