News Brief16:01 PM

(IsraelNN.com) The consumer price index for April, which is to be released Thursday, is likely to range from 0.8 percent to 1.2 percent, an annual rate of 10 per cent or more, economists and the Finance Ministry estimate. The April index usually is higher than usual because of pre-Passover shopping, but sharply higher energy costs have fueled inflation even further and may propel the May index to more than half a percent.

Inflation for the past 12 months through April is running at approximately four percent, the highest in several years. Food items have risen sharply, and Globes noted that the cost of falafel has risen by 70 percent, from seven shekels to 12 shekels and even higher in more expensive areas.