Israel’s High Court of Justice on Wednesday issued an order nisi in petitions challenging the appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu as director general of the Israel Land Authority. The court said the state must explain why the appointment meets legal requirements, following a hearing before Justices Yael Wilner, Ofer Grosskopf, and Khaled Kabub.
As part of the order, the government must respond to the arguments raised against the appointment. The next hearing was set for July 1.
At the center of the petitions is the claim that Eliyahu has a personal connection with Finance Minister and Defense Ministry Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The petitioners say the two have been political allies for many years, and that under those circumstances Eliyahu would need to show exceptional qualifications compared with other candidates.
During the hearing, the judges reviewed the selection committee materials, including candidate rankings. They also questioned the claim that Eliyahu had a clear professional advantage over the other contenders.
