Housing Minister Haim Katz summoned Yehuda Eliyahu, acting director of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), to a pre-dismissal hearing, sparking a political crisis within Likud, according to Israeli media reports. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Eliyahu will not be fired, and several Likud ministers criticized Katz's move. Katz's office said the hearing relates to claims of mismanagement, poor human relations, and exclusion of women, denying it is linked to appointment issues.
This afternoon, Housing Minister Haim Katz summoned Yehuda Eliyahu, acting director of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), to a pre-dismissal hearing just months into his tenure, as reported by The Zioneer. The move quickly sparked a political crisis within the Likud party.
By late afternoon, the Likud issued a statement saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had confirmed Eliyahu's acting position and that he "will not be fired," citing his important national work in the Negev and Galilee. Several Likud ministers sharply criticized Katz's decision, and a forum of former senior civil servants called for the hearing to be canceled.
Katz's office responded by denying the hearing was related to appointments, instead citing complaints from the ILA workers' committee about poor human relations, exclusion of women, and lack of cooperation on expanding rights for career soldiers. Katz warned that if no common ground is reached, he would appoint a replacement who advances Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee.
Commentators Yinnon Magal and Shimon Riklin launched fierce attacks on Katz, with Riklin accusing him of prioritizing "combinations" over governance and questioning how Likud voters could support the party under Katz's conduct. The episode highlights deep internal tensions within Likud over control of the ILA, a powerful body overseeing 93% of Israeli land.
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