Yehuda Eliyahu Appointed Acting CEO of Israel Land Authority After Supreme Court Overturns Permanent Appointment

The Israeli government appointed Yehuda Eliyahu as the acting CEO of the Israel Land Authority (ILA) for a three-month period or until a permanent CEO is chosen. This decision follows the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday that annulled his permanent appointment. Eliyahu is set to end his current role on the upcoming Sunday, according to Housing Minister Haim Katz, who made the decision after consulting with the Civil Service Commissioner Doran Cohen.

The court ruling, issued just a day before the acting appointment, did not address the issue of who should serve as acting CEO and did not oppose Eliyahu holding the acting position. However, the Supreme Court ordered the ILA's selection committee to resume its work only after replacing two of its five members due to concerns over conflicts of interest.

A key point in the ruling highlighted a close political connection between Eliyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, with whom Eliyahu has shared a political path for 27 years. The law permits appointing someone linked to the appointing minister only if the individual possesses special qualifications, which were not proven in Eliyahu's case. This has raised legal questions about the legitimacy of his acting appointment.

Furthermore, the role of acting CEO is typically assigned to a civil servant, but Eliyahu is expected to leave civil service soon, complicating his eligibility. Critics argue that the appointment process, intended to ensure qualified leadership for public bodies, was bypassed for political reasons. Smotrich defended the procedural aspects of the appointment but was criticized for ignoring the broader intent of the law to promote merit-based selections.