Jerusalem - Israel's tax authority said on Thursday it was working to obtain the details of thousands of Israelis with accounts at the Swiss arm of HSBC, after the bank admitted failings that may have allowed some customers to evade taxes.
According to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which this week coordinated the release of leaked data from HSBC in Switzerland, Israel ranked sixth among the 203 countries whose citizens were customers, with 6 554 Israelis holding accounts worth $10bn.
"We have tried to receive the data from authorities. We tried in various ways, direct and indirect, but we didn't get it," said Idit Lev-Zerahia, a spokesperson for the Israel Tax Authority. "We are now renewing our efforts."