Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi launched a sharp attack Wednesday evening against Housing Minister Chaim Katz over a dispute concerning the tenure of Yehuda Eliahu as acting director-general of the Israel Land Authority (ILA). The ILA is the government body that manages state-owned land, which comprises most of Israel's territory.
According to Karhi, Katz is working alongside Gil Limon, the Deputy Attorney General, to prevent extending Eliahu's term and thereby facilitate the appointment of a different candidate preferred by the legal establishment. "After the legal advisors tried to prevent Yehuda Eliahu's appointment as ILA director, now Chaim Katz is cooperating with Gil Limon to avoid extending his tenure as acting director in three months, thereby paving the way for an appointment convenient to the deep state," Karhi stated.
The communications minister expanded his criticism beyond the immediate appointment issue, questioning Katz's broader role in government and his stewardship of the Housing Ministry. While acknowledging that Katz holds a secure position on the Likud party list, Karhi argued this does not guarantee him control over multiple ministerial portfolios. "Chaim Katz may be secure on the Likud list, but nobody guaranteed him five ministries, and certainly not the Housing Ministry," he said.
Karhi escalated his rhetoric further, declaring that Israel would be better served without a housing minister than with one who collaborates with the legal establishment. "It's better for the State of Israel, for the Negev and the Galilee, to have a Housing Ministry without a minister than a housing minister who joins hands with Gil Limon and the deep state against the policies of the national camp," he stated.
Concluding his remarks, Karhi framed the dispute as a struggle over the government's ability to implement its policies, calling for officials not to be allowed to influence appointments. "We must not let bureaucrats undermine the prime minister's policies!" he declared.
