Netanyahu Clashes With Minister Katz Over Firing of Israel Land Authority Head

A political battle has erupted over the Israel Land Authority (ILA) following Housing and Construction Minister Haim Katz's decision to summon its acting director, Yehuda Eliyahu, for a pre-termination hearing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly opposed the move, signaling a significant political rift.

Minister Katz stated the hearing was not related to appointments Eliyahu was asked to make, but rather to serious allegations concerning the ILA's conduct. These include claims of "poor interpersonal relations and the exclusion of women," as well as a lack of cooperation regarding benefits for career soldiers and their families. Katz vowed to examine these issues with an open mind, adding that if no resolution is found, he would appoint a replacement to advance Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee and implement administrative reforms.

Eliyahu vehemently denies the accusations, calling them "completely unfounded" in a sharp letter to Katz. He frames the conflict as a struggle for the ILA's professional independence, alleging that demands to dismiss senior officials and interfere in tenders stem from pressure by the minister's office. Eliyahu claims he was pressured to approve all tenders for mid-level and senior positions and that a tender for a policy department director was blocked. He insists he will not act against his professional judgment and disputes the "exclusion of women" claims, stating he worked to find alternatives for religiously observant employees and reached a resolution with the workers' committee that was approved by the labor court.

Adding to the controversy, the Likud party issued a statement asserting that Prime Minister Netanyahu approved Eliyahu's appointment as acting ILA Director-General and that he will not be fired. The statement praised Eliyahu's "important national work in the Galilee and Negev," underscoring Netanyahu's opposition to Katz's dismissal plan. This intervention drew further political reactions, with Meir Deutsch of the Regavim movement urging Netanyahu to halt the dismissal and continue Eliyahu's "settlement revolution." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also defended Eliyahu, calling him professional and honest and vowing to seek control of the ILA and planning administration in the next term to strengthen Zionist endeavors.

Sources within Likud criticized Minister Katz, calling his decision a "terrible and grave mistake" to open a front against the Prime Minister so close to elections. They suggested the decision to summon Eliyahu for a hearing was impulsive. The ensuing political pressure and Netanyahu's intervention have turned Eliyahu's hearing into a significant test of the power dynamics surrounding the ILA's management and settlement policy in northern and southern Israel.