High Court Orders State to Justify RMI Chief Appointment

Israel’s High Court of Justice signaled on Tuesday that it may annul the appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu as director general of the Israel Land Authority, after hearings on petitions challenging the choice. The court issued an order nisi requiring the state to explain why the appointment should remain valid, shifting the burden from the petitioners to the government. The next hearing, when the state will present its response, was set for July 1, in 10 days.

The hearing became heated after a morning report by Calcalist said Prof. Idit Solberg, a member of the appointments committee that recommended Eliyahu, chairs Solberg Consulting, a company owned entirely by her husband, Shai. Petitioners argued that this creates a serious conflict of interest because the couple’s firm provides services to government ministries, including the Housing Ministry, which paid it about 10 million shekels in 2025. Since the Israel Land Authority is subordinate to the housing minister, the concern is that Solberg took part in selecting someone who could affect her family’s business interests.

The state asked to postpone the hearing so the prosecution could examine the new allegations, but justices Yael Wilner, Ofer Grosskopf and Khaled Kabub rejected the request. They said problems with the appointment existed even without the news report. The main legal obstacle is the close relationship between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Eliyahu, who are friends, relatives and political allies. Smotrich is one of three ministers who sign off on the appointment, together with the housing minister and the prime minister, and in practice he promoted Eliyahu’s candidacy.

Under Israeli law and precedent, a candidate with a personal link to the appointing minister can be appointed only if he has especially outstanding qualifications. The court said the materials submitted so far do not show Eliyahu has such exceptional credentials. The justices examined committee score sheets and indicated the ratings did not support the claim of unique qualifications. Eliyahu was appointed in early May. Three petitions were filed against the move by the Academy for a Democratic Israel, a joint petition by Naamat, the Women’s Lobby and Forum Dvora, and the Alternative Planning Center for the Arab Community. They also argue the process violated the requirement for proper representation of women.