'Israeli' may soon be sold, perhaps to Metro

Globes, a daily business newspaper in Israel, reports that Shlomo Ben-Tzvi is in advanced negotiations to sell his free newspaper “Israeli" to an unidentifed international company. In a separate development, Metro International has convinced a Tel Aviv judge to issue a temporary restraining order stopping businessmen Eli Azour and David Weissman from using the word "metro" in the title of their free daily. In its petition to the court, the company said that it was planning to launch “Metro” in Israel and that it was seeking a distributor for the newspaper. Globes' Yael Gaoni writes, "[I]n view of these developments, it cannot be ruled out that Metro International is the party interested in acquiring 'Israeli,' and turning it into the Israeli edition of 'Metro.'"