Israel Land Authority Faces Labor Court Battle Over Canceled Musical and Female Performers

The State Employees Union has threatened to petition the Labor Court regarding Yehuda Eliyahu, acting director-general of the Israel Land Authority (ILA), over the cancellation of a staff welfare event featuring a musical with female singers. Eliyahu blocked the performance, titled "Biglal HaRuach" featuring songs by Shlomi Shabbat, due to religious objections concerning female vocalists. Despite a previous compromise reached in late August to proceed with the event this October alongside alternative options for objecting employees, the union states that Eliyahu has failed to advance the plans and has stalled a separate educational trip to Eilat.

In a letter sent by Adv. Elad Morag on behalf of the union, officials warned that Eliyahu is using the welfare events as "hostages" to impose unacceptable directives on civil servants. The union demands a clear timetable for both the musical performance and the Eilat trip, stressing that it will not tolerate the exclusion of women from the public sphere through backdoor tactics or administrative delays. The legal confrontation coincides with the expiration of Eliyahu's acting tenure, following a legal opinion from the Ministry of Construction and Housing's legal adviser stating he cannot continue in his role.

Eliyahu's initial appointment as permanent director-general was struck down by the Supreme Court in July following investigations revealing conflicts of interest among search committee members. Although the government subsequently appointed him as acting director-general, the High Court recently rejected a government petition challenging the Attorney General's restrictions on senior appointments during an election period. As the leadership of the Israel Land Authority remains legally uncertain, employees continue their push against religious coercion and for gender equality.