Israeli Government Partially Accepts Judges' Proposal on Yehuda Eliyahu's Appointment as Israel Land Authority CEO

The Israeli government has agreed to a compromise proposed by judges in the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu as CEO of the Israel Land Authority (ILA). The decision came amid petitions challenging Eliyahu's appointment due to alleged conflicts of interest within the selection committee. According to the proposal, two committee members facing conflict of interest claims will be replaced, and the three remaining candidates, including Eliyahu, will be re-interviewed by the reconstituted committee before a final decision is made.

However, the government stipulated that Eliyahu will continue to serve as acting CEO of the ILA until a new appointment is finalized or the renewed selection process concludes. The government’s acceptance was partial, as the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has yet to respond to the proposal. Baharav-Miara had previously stated that the state would not defend Eliyahu’s appointment, citing significant procedural flaws that justify its cancellation.

Eliyahu, who currently heads the Settlement Administration in the Ministry of Defense and is considered close to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, was ranked highest by the selection committee with a score of 93. His appointment was officially approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Smotrich, and Housing Minister Haim Katz despite opposition from various organizations claiming the selection criteria were lowered to favor him over more experienced candidates.

The ILA manages approximately 93% of Israel’s land, overseeing land marketing, new neighborhood development, and housing policy, making the CEO position highly influential over the real estate market and national land reserves. The legal battle over Eliyahu’s appointment began earlier this year and continues to draw significant attention due to the strategic importance of the role.