Concealed details about academic degree: The mayor of Arad convicted
Yair Maayan, mayor of Arad, has been convicted of disciplinary offenses. The tribunal ruled that he failed to disclose that his bachelor's degree was from an institution not recognized in Israel when applying for senior civil service positions. Maayan has accepted responsibility for his actions.
The Disciplinary Tribunal for Civil Servants has convicted the mayor of Arad, Yair Maayan, of disciplinary offenses for concealing details regarding his academic credentials while applying for several senior civil service positions. The tribunal adopted an amended plea bargain, sentencing Maayan to a formal reprimand and a three-and-a-half-year disqualification from holding public office.
Maayan (born 1967) previously served as CEO of the Authority for the Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev, CEO of the Ministry of National Infrastructure, and CEO of the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the indictment, Maayan holds a bachelor's degree from Trinity College and University, an institution not recognized in Israel. His candidacy for CEO of the Israel Land Authority was rejected in 2011 for this reason, yet he failed to disclose this in subsequent applications in 2020 and 2021, even after the Regional Labor Court explicitly determined in 2021 that his questionnaire submissions were made in bad faith.
During the proceedings, the tribunal increased the disqualification period from the initially proposed two and a half years to three and a half years. The prosecution argued that Maayan acted with full awareness of his disclosure obligations and deliberately violated them.
Defense attorney Zohar Gibbs argued that the case involved "non-disclosure" rather than active forgery. The tribunal gave significant weight to Maayan's voluntary reserve service since October 7, 2023. Despite being exempt, he served approximately 256 days, assisting in the search for missing persons and establishing the "Absalom Force" reserve battalion to protect Gaza Envelope communities.
The tribunal noted that had Maayan not already retired from the civil service, his actions would have warranted immediate dismissal. The sentence was handed down on February 19, 2026.
In his statement to the court, Maayan claimed he had left a successful business career to return to public service out of a sense of duty. He explained that after obtaining a recognized master's degree from Kiryat Ono College in 2011, he believed the master's qualification rendered the bachelor's degree examination unnecessary. Maayan acknowledged he should have acted with full transparency and noted that the legal process itself, used by political rivals to damage his reputation, has served as a severe punishment for an elected official.
