Water Authority Rejects Shas Candidate for Bnei Brak Water Corporation CEO Over False Experience Claims
The Israeli Water Authority has disqualified Meir Pinchas, a Shas political advisor, from becoming CEO of Bnei Brak's municipal water corporation after discovering discrepancies in his claimed professional experience. Pinchas asserted he had five years of CEO experience at Afrem AP Initiatives, a company founded only in June 2023, and at Eretz Avot, established in April 2025. He owns half of Afrem AP Initiatives, with the other half held by Efrat Pinchas. The Water Authority's appointment committee found these claims did not meet the legal requirement of five years of senior managerial experience in a relevant field, as stipulated by the Water Corporations Law and Government Companies Law.
The timing of the rejection is critical, as "Mei Barak," owned by Bnei Brak municipality, has been without a permanent CEO since January 2025 following the resignation of David Tzelnick. Meanwhile, the municipality owes the water corporation approximately 30 million shekels, a significant increase from about 8 million shekels in 2022, threatening the corporation's financial stability. Despite strict collection efforts from the public, municipal institutions such as schools and ritual baths have delayed payments, exacerbating the financial strain.
Pinchas, who is politically connected to Shas leadership and previously advised ministers including David Azoulay and Yitzhak Vaknin, also claimed to have managed the Religious Services Ministry's departments, but the committee found he served only as an advisor, not a senior official. Attempts to demonstrate managerial experience through a 2020 contract with Green Park company were inconsistent, as his CV states he started there in 2025, and the committee described his conduct as "incomprehensible." A letter from Green Park's CEO about his role managing a 100 million shekel project was deemed insufficient proof.
The appointment committee criticized the Bnei Brak water corporation's board for failing to identify these issues during the candidate search, calling it a fundamental flaw in the process. The Water Authority's water corporations supervisor, Omer Vardi, concurred that Pinchas did not meet the threshold criteria. Following the disqualification, the water corporation will continue operating without a CEO while the municipal debt remains unresolved.
Pinchas's representatives maintain he was lawfully selected with the highest score and that Afrem AP Initiatives operated as a sole proprietorship since 2020 before incorporation in 2023, thus meeting experience requirements. Bnei Brak municipality described the outstanding payments as routine intergovernmental accounting, denying claims of impending collapse. The water corporation stated it will initiate a new CEO search and pursue all legal avenues to recover the municipal debt. The Water Authority emphasized the need for the corporation to promptly conduct a new search and implement the committee's professional recommendations.
