Israeli Government Seeks to Keep Yehuda Eliyahu as Rami CEO Despite High Court Order to Cancel Appointment

The Israeli government is attempting to indirectly validate Yehuda Eliyahu's appointment as CEO of the Israel Land Authority (Rami) following a High Court of Justice (HCJ) ruling. The court proposed canceling Eliyahu's appointment and reinstating the search committee for the CEO position after replacing two of its five members due to conflict of interest concerns. The government was asked to respond within 48 hours, with the deadline expiring today. Represented by private attorney Doron Taubman, the government submitted a response accepting the court's proposal in principle but requested that Eliyahu remain in his role until a replacement or a new committee completes its work, citing the need to avoid operational uncertainty at Rami.

One of the petitioners against Eliyahu's appointment, the Academia for Israel Democracy, represented by attorney Eliram Bakal, criticized the government's approach. Bakal argued that if Eliyahu's appointment is canceled, he ceases to be a senior civil servant, yet an acting CEO must be selected from existing civil servants. Additionally, serving as acting CEO would unfairly advantage Eliyahu in the upcoming selection process. The court's decision to disqualify Eliyahu partly stems from his close ties to appointing Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and the absence of demonstrated exceptional qualifications compared to other candidates. This raises doubts about Eliyahu's eligibility even for an acting CEO role.

The government agreed to form a new search committee replacing two members, Meiran Frozenfar from the Finance Ministry and Professor Idit Solberg, both implicated in conflict of interest allegations. The top three candidates from the previous committee, Eliyahu, Kobi Yelovitch (a former local authority CEO and current business owner), and Shuli Avni Shom, will be reconsidered, with the option to interview additional candidates from the earlier round.

Meanwhile, the government plans to appoint an acting CEO amid a politically charged election period. Until a permanent CEO is appointed or a new committee recommends a candidate, the government insists Eliyahu remain in office. The Academia for Israel Democracy warned that prolonged delays in appointing new committee members and potential government reluctance to accept committee recommendations could result in Eliyahu effectively maintaining his position indefinitely through acting appointments.