Business in Brief

Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer's growth forecast for 2009 and 2010 is more optimistic than that of the central bank itself. Fischer told participants at a Europe-Israel business forum in Jerusalem yesterday that the central bank's projections are based on a pessimistic outlook in global markets, while in fact it looks like things might not go so poorly. Fischer declined to provide specific figures. The central bank amended its growth outlook last August, which had originally projected a contraction of 1.5% in 2009, rising to growth of 1% in 2010. The new forecast is for 0% growth this year and 2.5% growth in 2010. A spokesman for Bank of Israel said the central bank's forecasts are based on that of the International Monetary Fund and will be amended accordingly if amended by the IMF. (Ora Coren)

Foreign airlines saw a dramatic 35% to 40% decrease in revenues in September compared with the same period last year. Revenues of the foreign airlines that operate in Israel totaled $1 billion this time around. Airline managers blame the decline on a drop in international passengers and intensifying competition that has wreaked havoc on ticket prices. The number of international passengers traveling through Ben-Gurion International Airport declined by just 1.25% during this period, despite a 2.5% increase in the number of flights. From January to September, some 8 million passengers passed through the airport, down about 7% from a year earlier. (Zohar Blumenkrantz)

Even if your television can't receive the evening news program Mabat, Politica talk show or any other program offered by the Israel Broadcast Authority, you still have to pay your television license fee, according to a ruling handed down last week by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court. The court considered the question of whether the fee is applicable to the television itself, or for access to programming offered by the Broadcast Authority. The court found that the law offers no exemption from the fee for televisions that are unable to receive IBA programming. (Rina Rozenberg)

Bank Leumi will participate in a new round of private financing for Mobileye, developer of vision-based Driver Assistance Systems. Leumi invested some NIS 40 million in the company in 2008, in exchange for a 1%-2% stake in the company. Mobileye hopes to raise $30-$50 million in the current round. Leumi Partners, Bank Leumi's investment arm, is leading the round, which is estimated to be the last one before the company is floated. The firm is valuated in the current round of financing at more than $500 million. (Amir Tieg)