Israeli Official Fired Over False Resume Claims

Idan David has been removed from his position as chairman of the board of directors for Netivei Ayalon, a state-owned company, following an investigation that revealed significant discrepancies in his professional background. The decision was made by a committee headed by Judge Shulamit Dotan on Sunday, September 27, after a Channel 12 investigation by journalist Yossi Mizrahi raised serious doubts about the accuracy of the information David provided during his appointment.

The investigation, which aired about a week and a half ago, highlighted major differences between David's claims and the facts uncovered by journalists. These discrepancies pertained to the revenue and employee numbers of companies he managed, as well as his achievements in municipal leadership roles. The investigation found that David had overstated his management of budgets, claiming to oversee nearly a billion shekels and around 400 employees, when in reality, the figures were closer to 20 million shekels and fewer than ten employees.

Further questions arose regarding David's claim to have served as Deputy CEO of Finance for Migdalit between 2012 and 2016. Individuals whose signatures appeared on supporting documents denied signing them, and no evidence of the company's offices or employees during that period could be found. Additionally, a private firm David was associated with prior to his public sector role reportedly collapsed with significant debts.

David, who was appointed as a confidant of Transportation Minister Miri Regev and with the support of Minister Dudi Amsalem, reportedly lacked experience in the transportation sector, his background being primarily in municipal and private sectors. His tenure at Netivei Ayalon was marked by internal conflicts, including attempts to oust the company's CEO, Orly Stern, who has a strong professional reputation. These attempts were repeatedly blocked by the state-owned companies authority, which cited Stern's successful performance.