Is Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Board Chairman, heading to Israel for a new job? At least that was the impression President Barack Obama hinted in an interview with Charlie Rose. Obama told Charlie Rose, in an interview that aired yesterday, that Federal Reserve Chairman “Ben Bernanke’s done an outstanding job,” but has stayed in his post “longer than he wanted or he was supposed to.”

According to Israel’s largest financial daily, Calcalist, Prime Minister Netanyahu might be preparing a “mother of all surprises” as he picks a new successor to Stanley Fischer as governor of the Bank of Israel.

“There is another option, at this point only a rumor, that explains the smell of surprise now spreading in the air: to appoint Federal Reserve head Ben Bernanke to the job,’ Calcalist reporter Amnon Atad, a veteran reporter who is known for his extensive behind the scenes knowledge of the Bank of Israel, reports. “It could be an imaginary speculation, with low chances of actually happening, but one must remember that Bernanke is the only import option that would garner wall to wall agreement. Ben Shalom Bernanke is very much a “Fischer compatible.” He’s also a well known and experienced economics professor, Jewish, and speaks Hebrew. Bernanke is supposed to finish his term in January 2014. Netanyahu can now announce his appointment to head of the Bank of Israel and that he will begin in half a year, and until then the deputy head Karnit Plog will fill the position.”

Ynet reports that out of three potential US candidates, “Netanyahu has also approached Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Shalom Bernanke, 60, who will be ending his term soon after eight years in office. Bernanke, a Jew, has an Israeli connection as well: Stanley Fischer was his advisor at MIT.”

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily has learned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned in recent days to at least four candidates living and serving in senior positions abroad.

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)