Israel's Central Bank Chief Applies to Head IMF

JERUSALEM-- Israel's finance minister says the country's central bank chief has applied to head the International Monetary Fund.

Respected economist Stanley Fischer has headed Israel's central bank since 2005 and has held top jobs at the World Bank and at Citigroup Corp.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said in a statement Saturday he supported Fischer's candidacy.

The post has traditionally gone to a European, and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has emerged as the front-runner. The IMF's last director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, quit last month after he was accused of attempting to rape a New York hotel maid.