Press Release:

Last MQG petitioned to the Supreme Court against the appointment of MK Yoav Galant to the position of Minister of Construction, and requested an order to publicise the General Comptroller’s report on the ‘Land Affair’

Last week MQG petitioned to the Supreme Court against the Prime Minister, the Attorney General, the State Comptroller, the Knesset, the Likud  and Kulanu parties, MK Kahlon and MK Yoav Galant. The Movement demands that the court produce a conditional order against MK Galant’s appointment as Minister of Construction in the 34th Israeli Government. This comes in the wake of his unlawful actions in the ‘Land Affair’, which was investigated by the General Comptroller and led to the withdrawal of his appointment as Chief of Staff.

In the petition the Movement also asks the court to produce a conditional order against the General comptroller, instructing him to publish the full report regarding MK Galant’s part in the ‘Land Affair’, in order for all information to be available for public judgement – before the bodies tasked with confirming the appointment and the public at large – prior to the completion of the appointment process.

Additionally, the Movement has requested a temporary order instructing the Prime Minister not to present MK Galant’s appointment to the Knesset for confirmation until a ruling has been made on the petition. This would serve to prevent irreversible damage to public trust in government and the integrity and honesty of public service that could be caused if MK Galant begins his term as Minister of Construction.

In the petition the Movement argues that the man in question has trespassed onto dozens of dunams of public land and refused to vacate them despite being asked to do so by the authorities. He has on more than one occasion presented partial or incorrect evidence to the authorities, with the goal of promoting his own interests. He did not hesitate to exploit his status and make use of high ranking officials in the Israel Land Authority and the Planning Authority in order to obtain buying rights that contravene authority regulations. He is a man whose high rank was a source of concern for a large group of civil servants in those authorities in charge of his personal affairs, who were prepared to help him by abusing their position and their duty to act fairly and without preferential treatment. He is a man who, to this day, holds 35 dunams of state land given to him ex gratia, in the absence of authorisation and in absolute contravention of the law and correct procedure as the result of this unlawful behaviour.

Despite this, and in complete opposition to all public logic, and in violation of his duty to act with public accountability, the Prime Minister of Israel, head of the Likud Party, agreed with head of Kulanu, to specifically appoint MK Galant to the position of Minister of Construction in the Israeli Government.

Moreover, despite the fact that the State Comptroller’s office conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation with regard to Galant’s affairs four years ago, which uncovered many worrying facts regarding his actions in the ‘Land Affair’, the General Comptroller still refuses to reveal the findings of the investigation to the public. This state of affairs prevents members of the public and future MKs from expressing trust in a government that withholds essential information concerning the behaviour of an elected official, and does not allow the appointment to be held to public accountability.