PUOIRR MA) CADILLAC OWNERS DESERVE THE CADILLAC OF SERVICE. RINKE. Inflation Hits Israelis In Their Salad Bowls 1996 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 24 $1000 down sma m rise $475 mo. $2000 down $3000 down M32 mo. $389 mo. EQUIPPED WITH: Chrome Wheels, Leather Seats, ISB Package & Security System. 275 H.P., 4.6 Liter, V-8 Northstar System. Anti-Lock Brakes, Airbank System. Speed Sensitive Steering MEMEM32:04Saimaga:::: 0..:EaMANNWINOWS . 1996 Cadillac Eldorado EQUIPPED WITH: Chrome Wheels, Leather Seats, Security System. 275 H.P., 4.6 Liter, V-8 Northstar System. Full Range Traction Control, Real Time Road Sensing Suspension, Speed Sensitive Steering, Airbank System, Anti-Lock Brakes. Jerusalem (JTA) — In the land where people pride themselves on how small they can cut a vegetable salad, the soaring price of toma- toes has hit Israelis hard. The subject has been the topic of radio call-in shows, newspaper editorials and nationwide sur- veys. A Gallup poll released this week found that 19 percent of the 350 respondents have completely stopped buying tomatoes, and an- other 25 percent have significant- ly cut their consumption of the popular vegetable. Prices have soared from be- tween 50 percent to 80 percent in the past month. Reasons for the huge increases include a poor agricultural season., the intermittent loss of Arab work- ers when the administered terri- tories were closed of after terrorist attacks; and a recent ban on fruits and vegetables from the Gaza Strip because of the outbreak of cholera there. In one (non-scientific) Israel Ra- dio phone poll, 90 percent of those surveyed said they would boycott the pricey fruit to force prices down. A price cut did not seem likely in the near future. 1996 Cadillac Seville SLS EQUIPPED WITH: Chrome Wheels, Leather Seats, Security System. 275 H.P., 4.6 Liter, V-8 Northstar System.. Full Range Traction Control, Real Time Road Sensing Suspension, Speed Sensitve Steering, Airbank system, Anti-Lock Brakes. •GMAC SMARTLEASE 24 Mos. on Sedan DeVile & Eldorado, Sev71e SLS. Fust pymt, + acquisrlion fee, Ref. sec. dep. of $500, pkis dam payment as shown above cn Sedan DeVille and Eldo., W,303 cn Smile SLS.; plate or transfer fee due cndeFvery.State & lux tax additional. Mile timitaticn of 24,000 on Sedan DeVille & Eldorado, SLS. 15t per mile excess charge over imitation. Lessee has option to purchase at lease end. Sedan DeVile $28,201, Eldorado $28,537, Seville $33282 To get total payments, m4ly payment by number of months. CI) CC I- LL) If traveling west on 1-696, exit Hoover, follow Service Drive to RINKE. If traveling east on 1-696, exit Van Dyke; take second bridge past Van Dyke over expressway to RINKE. 68 Open Mon. 7-9pin, Tues. 7-7 pm, Wed. 7-7 pm, Thurs. 7-9 pm, Fri. 7-6 pm But a significant price cut did not seem likely in the near future, despite the much-anticipated an- nouncement that several hundred tons of tomatoes were on their way from Jordan. Cabinet ministers this week were busy pointing fingers at each other for the high prices and short supply. Finance Minister Avraham Shohat accused the Agriculture Ministry of moving too slowly to get approvals to import fruit and vegetables. He suggested that the public forego eating tomatoes for a while, in an effort to bring the price down. "I'm calling on the citizens of the State of Israel to tell them that it is not terrible at this time of year not to buy tomatoes at 10 shekels a kilo (about $1.50 a pound). It is possible to eat cheaper vegetables for a month or a month and a half," said Mr. Shohat. He even got a little nostalgic. "During certain periods in my childhood I didn't eat tomatoes, and I don't seem the worse for it." Agriculture Minister Ya'acov Tsur blamed the tomato shortage on the Finance Ministry, for not subsidizing Israeli farmers so they would plant and maintain a large supply. "I think the main lesson of this event," said Mr. Tsur, "is that the cheapest way to have produce in the markets is really to encourage our own farmers and encourage them in such a way that they will continue to plant and to grow and to remain in this sector." Yehuda Share of the Supersol supermarket chain said tomato sales were down by 30 percent. Re- garding a consumer boycott, he doubted it would have much of an impact on prices. "The customers are angry, we're angry. We just don't have the vol- ume to sell," he said. One group of Israeli farmers de- cided to do their part: Tomato growers from Moshav Itamar on the West Bank said they would sell their organically grown prod- uct for 5-6 shekels a kilo (less than $1 a pound), even though they usually export it for more, Israel Radio reported. Inflation Concern Raises Rates Jerusalem (JTA) — In a move aimed at curbing rising inflation, the Bank of Israel has announced a 1.5 percent hike in interest rates, the eighth such increase in the past year. In making the announcement, Bank of Israel Governor Jacob Frenkel warned that the govern- ment must take additional steps to rein in inflation, 'CS hich is cur- rently running at about 16 percent — nearly twice the government's initial target for 1994. The increase will go into effect on Dec. 1. The discount rate, which the central bank charges on loans to the country's commercial banks, is expected to rise to about 18.5 percent. Interest rates have nearly dou- bled during the past year. The prime rate, which banks charge to their top customers, may rise to nearly 20 percent, according to news reports here. Reaction to this week's rate hike was immediate, with stock prices dropping slightly Monday after posting gains of some 6 percent the day before. In other economic news, the Kne,sset last week approved a con- troversia110 percent capital gains tax to be imposed on Israeli in- vestors in the stock market. The legislation, which takes ef- fect in January, passed 45-30, with five abstentions. Members of the Likud opposi- tion vowed to abolish the legisla- tion should it come to power in the country's next elections. C.\