while nobody is sure if IKEA is really opening a branch in Bet Shemesh or if that was just the beginning of an elaborate Purim joke, it seems Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to convine Walmart to open in Israel (source: Srugim). Netanyahu told the owners that he will ease regulations in an effort to encourage them to do so.

Now, if Bet Shemesh could get both an IKEA and a Walmart.... wow! and then Target would have to  be next!