While the cabinet during its weekly meeting on Sunday 18 Iyar 5773 approved Israel’s new banknotes, there is much audible criticism surrounding the fact there are no Sephardim or Arabs included in the personalities chosen for the notes. Committee members were instructed by the Bank of Israel to select famous Israeli poets. Some committee members are quoted as saying “perhaps committee members are ignorant” but they do not know of any “prominent” poets of Sephardi descent to select for the bills.
Chosen for the new bills were Rachel Blobstein (20 NIS), Leah Goldberg (100 NIS), Shaul Tchernichovsky (50 NIS) and Nathan Alterman (200 NIS). Among the critics is Shas MK Aryeh Deri, who called on the cabinet not to give its approval but the government did not heed his call. Meretz MK MK Esawi Frij questioned why after 65 years of statehood a single Arab has yet to appear on a bill.
The decision as to what bill to assign to each person was made based on their date of death. The earlier they died the lower denomination bill. The committee was headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Turkel and the committee’s recommendations were accepted by Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fischer.
Ynet quotes Turkey saying “I’m not belittling anyone − some of our greatest men of the spirit came from Spain, but this obsession is silly. I can’t even define what I am, since my ancestors were exiled from Spain to Turkey and from there to Galicia [Poland] 500 years ago. It seems pretty insignificant to me, but maybe there are people for whom this is important.”
The 50 and 200 NIS will be in circulation soon followed by the 20 and 100 NIS in the spring of 2014. The old notes will be out of circulation in 2017.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Considering the paper money is increasingly becoming obsolete, one might suggest this story isn’t all that important.
And you can put anyone you want on your ATM or stored value card.