Israel Land Authority Acting Director's Term Extended by Three Months

By הילה ציאון

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

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Israel's Minister of Construction and Housing, Haim Katz, has extended Yehuda Eliyahu's term as acting director of the Israel Land Authority by three months. This decision comes after a Supreme Court ruling clarified the calculation of Eliyahu's tenure and a meeting involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eliyahu, who had been summoned for a termination hearing, will continue in his role until a permanent appointment is made or the extension ends.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Minister Haim Katz extended Yehuda Eliyahu's term as acting director of the Israel Land Authority by three months.
The Supreme Court clarified that Eliyahu's acting tenure should be counted from July 22, 2026.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in a meeting that preceded the extension decision.
Eliyahu's previous appointment as director was canceled by the Supreme Court due to ties with Bezalel Smotrich.
Katz had previously summoned Eliyahu for a hearing regarding the termination of his role.

Israel Land Authority Acting Director's Term Extended by Three Months — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Israel's Minister of Construction and Housing, Haim Katz, announced on Thursday a three-month extension for Yehuda Eliyahu's tenure as acting director of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), which manages 92% of the country's land. The extension is effective until a permanent director is appointed or the three-month period concludes, whichever comes first. This decision follows a clarification meeting between Minister Katz and Eliyahu, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court, in a decision delivered by Justices Yael Viner, Ofer Groskopf, and Khalad Kabub, clarified that Eliyahu's term as acting director should be counted from July 22, 2026, excluding his previous tenure. This ruling addresses a petition concerning the calculation of Eliyahu's service periods. The court also accepted the state's position that the matter should first be resolved internally within government bodies, but provided the starting date for calculating his term due to the short time remaining.

Minister Katz had previously summoned Eliyahu, a confidant of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for a hearing regarding the termination of his role. Eliyahu's appointment as ILA director had previously been canceled by the Supreme Court due to his ties with Smotrich. However, following the recent meeting with Netanyahu and the Supreme Court's clarification, Katz decided to keep Eliyahu in his acting position.

Katz wrote to the Civil Service Commissioner, Doron Cohen, requesting his opinion on the extension. He noted that Eliyahu's current term was set to expire on Friday, and that after considering Eliyahu's arguments from the termination hearing, he decided to extend his role. The minister expressed his belief in cooperation to advance Jewish settlement in the Galilee and Negev regions.

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