Israeli Labor Union Challenges Israel Lands Authority Deputy CEO Over Ban on Female Singers

The Israeli State Employees Union filed an urgent petition on Tuesday evening with the Tel Aviv Labor Court demanding that the Israel Lands Authority (ILA) proceed with the scheduled musical "Because of the Wind," which includes female singers, as part of an upcoming employee appreciation event. The musical, featuring songs by Shlomi Shabat, was selected by an ILA tender committee in early August. However, on August 17, Yehuda Eliyahu, the acting CEO of ILA, ordered the human resources department to cancel the performance due to the participation of women singers.

Three days ago, Ophir Elkaly, chairman of the State Employees Union, sent a letter to Eliyahu requesting a reversal of the decision, which was ignored. A similar letter from the Naamat movement was also disregarded. Consequently, Elkaly turned to the Labor Court seeking an order to hold the show as planned and to prevent contracting with alternative producers. The union also requested a declaratory order stating that excluding women, particularly banning female singing, constitutes unlawful discrimination and harms dignity and equality in the workplace.

Elkaly's legal argument centers on the claim that Eliyahu's decision is gender discrimination and public exclusion of women, violating fundamental Israeli legal principles of equality and freedom of expression. The petition highlights that Eliyahu, appointed acting CEO only a month prior after the High Court invalidated the permanent CEO appointment due to procedural flaws, likely lacks authority for such a sweeping directive in a public body. The union disputes Eliyahu's claim that employee complaints motivated the cancellation, noting no such complaints were recorded by the workers' committee or HR.

The petition also points out that ILA employs 800 people, 70% of whom are women, and that many past events featured female performers without issue. It notes that only about 20 employees request strict kosher food accommodations, suggesting a small minority with stringent religious views. The petition alleges Eliyahu effectively established an unwritten policy banning events with female singing, which if upheld, could lead to creeping exclusion of women not only at ILA but across the civil service.