Political commentator Shimon Riklin launched a scathing attack on Housing Minister Haim Katz after Katz dismissed Yehuda Eliyahu from the Israel Land Authority. Riklin accused Katz of prioritizing 'combinations' over governance and called Eliyahu the only obstacle preventing Arab takeover of state lands. Riklin questioned how voters could support Likud with Katz in a senior role.
Political commentator Shimon Riklin on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Housing Minister Haim Katz over the dismissal of Yehuda Eliyahu from the Israel Land Authority (ILA). In a post on his the source, Riklin accused Katz of prioritizing "combinations" over governance and called Eliyahu the only obstacle preventing an "Arab takeover" of state lands. He questioned how Likud voters could support a party with Katz in a senior role.
The attack followed a series of developments earlier Wednesday at 13:03 Jerusalem. After Katz summoned Eliyahu to a pre-dismissal hearing citing severe mismanagement, poor human relations, and exclusion of women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that Eliyahu would remain in his post and would not be fired. Katz's office then issued a statement detailing the allegations and threatening to appoint an acting director to advance Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee.
The internal dispute over the Israel Land Authority comes amid growing Likud party tensions over senior appointments and Knesset slot allocations. As The Zioneer reported in August, commentator Moti Kastel alleged that Katz blackmailed Netanyahu over reserved slots. The ILA oversees state-owned land management and allocation.
It remains unclear whether Katz will pursue further steps to remove Eliyahu despite Netanyahu's confirmation that he will stay in office. Riklin's accusations have not yet been addressed by Katz or the Likud party.
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