Chen Bar-Yosef, Director of the Fuel Directorate in the Ministry of Infrastructures, recommended Wednesday that Israelis use more public transportation and carpools in order to deal with the high cost of fuel. Speaking with Arutz Sheva radio in Hebrew, Bar-Yosef mentioned environmental protection as another consideration in favor of these arrangements.

He said that the price hike reflects worldwide trends, increased demand from China and Japan and the weakening of the dollar. "More dollars are required for every barrel of petroleum," he explained.