jerusalem nov 22 reuters  the bank of israel held its benchmark interest rate ilinreci at 01 for a 13th straight policy meeting on monday amid easing inflation pressures and slowing economic growth all 16 economists polled by reuters had said they expected the monetary policy committee to keep rates steady after doing so ever since cutting them from 025 at the outset of the covid19 pandemic read more the next rates move is widely expected to be a rate increase in 2022 or 2023 israels inflation rate dipped to 23 in october from an eightyear peak of 25 in september to remain above the midpoint of the governments 13 annual target range at the same time a rapid covid19 vaccination rollout in which 44 of israelis have received a third booster shot has led to an economic rebound with the country largely free of virusrelated restrictions however the economy grew an annualised 24 in the third quarter from the prior three months after growth of 137 in the second quarter