Bills to feature Rabin and Begin in Israeli banknote revolution
Bank of Israel to replace all figures on banknotes; process expected to be completed within 2 years.
By Tal Levy and TheMarker Tags: Israel news Israel finance Bank of IsraelFor the first time in Israel's history, the Bank of Israel will change all the figures that are featured on the country's banknotes.
The new bills will feature Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion; Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl; and former Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin.
The plan, which is expected to be put into action in two years, is a break from tradition for the central bank, since it usually only occasionally changes the design of the bills and the pictures of the figures featured on them.
The figures who will be taken out of circulation will be former prime minister Moshe Sharett, who is currently featured on the NIS 20 note; former president Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, who is on the NIS 100 note; and writer the S.Y. Agnon, who is on the NIS 50 note.
It is still unclear whether the new banknotes will be made of paper or water-resistant polypropylene polymer, like the current NIS 20 bill.
In a statement, the Bank of Israel said, "There are more prominent figures in Israel's history that need to be put into circulation."
An additional reason for the changing of the bills is to implement new security measures aimed at combating counterfeiters.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
After recently studying WW II I saw that they sold war bonds.If Israel sales a war bond or a support bond or a pregas voucher(cashed in later for petrol) would we have war debt?If at every cash register a flyer with a war bond purchase was put in governmental funds maybe a dollar value of 75 cents USA funds to acrue out to a dollar USA funds in two years.A mini savings bonds that would help Israel be you Jew or Palestinian.It is one nation.Imagine all the positive we could have.Study the past for good and then find better in the future. Rankoo-Karoon
Israel will be able to really claim that she is a multi-racial state when there are pictures of Israeli Arabs on banknotes. Stop giggling, now!
Herzl, Ben Gurion - YES Begin - MAYBE RABIN - NO Rabib did nothing to help this country, he brought us oslo and all thats brought this country is death and misery. If it wasn't for the fact that after he was killed it hadn't become fashionable to start naming things after him then we would probably have somebody else. A better idea for money would be to end the trend of having people on money and replace them with scenes of different parts of Israel like they had in the early 50s. Maybe if people started seeing images everyday of what they are being told to hand over to enemies they might feel a little different about it. Also scenes of beautiful landscapes is much nicer than a picture of Yitzhak Rabin
Changing from lira to shekel was more of a revolution than this. Was it called a revolution at the time? In fact it's the same old same old except for no nod to culture, no nod to women, God forbid(s). Herzl, BG, Begin, Rabin, hmmmm. Now where have I heard those names before? No, no revolution, just more hunkering down under a bit of stirred up foam from the same barrel and for the umpteenth time.
I do realize that the zionists wish to beatify their criminal leaders. If I compare you with Japan, where the faces on the Yen banknotes are not the leaders of the country or the founders from Meiji onwards. The pictures are those of famous writer.
... and so if Begin and Rabin are to be featured on the new bank-notes, why not make a generous gesture, Israel, and include Anwar Sadat and King Hussein as well? MV
Just as the the Jews instituted the Fast of Gedalia, the leader of the Jews who returned from Babylon who was assassinated by fanatics, so should we now instiutte the Fast of Rabin.
Ben Gurion Herzl Begin I just hope they don't go back to the awful style of bills before the current batch.
Putting the visage of two liberal peacemongers on the currency? Some liberal must be trying to subvert the nation.