"Double Frustration": Urgent Petition to the High Court Against the Attorney General's Intervention in the Israel Land Authority
Prime Minister Netanyahu, Finance Minister Smotrich, and Housing Minister Katz have filed an urgent petition to the High Court of Justice against the Attorney General, claiming she is thwarting the appointment of the Director of the Israel Land Authority. The three argue that the legal counsel is acting contrary to a court-approved arrangement, preventing both the permanent appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu and the extension of his temporary tenure, which may end within three days.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Housing and Construction Minister Haim Katz filed an urgent petition to the High Court of Justice against the Attorney General. At the center of the petition is the appointment of the Director of the Israel Land Authority (ILA). The three claim that the legal counsel is thwarting the implementation of a court ruling that regulated the management of the authority during the interim period. According to them, the legal counsel is preventing the permanent appointment of Yehuda Eliyahu, while simultaneously blocking the extension of his temporary tenure as acting director, which is set to expire within three days. The confrontation escalated following a letter dated October 8 from the legal counsel to the Ministry of Housing and Construction, which clarified that extending the tenure requires the consent of the Civil Service Commissioner and the Attorney General due to the statutory limit on temporary tenure. The ministers argue that this is a misinterpretation that ignores the court ruling. Housing Minister Katz retracted his intention to fire Eliyahu after reviewing his responses, and requested a three-month extension of his tenure. The three warn of a "double frustration" that would harm the functional continuity of the authority.