Court Upholds Senior Appointment at the Ministry of Agriculture
The Tel Aviv Labor Court has rejected a petition challenging the appointment of Dr. Chen Henig as Head of the Animal Welfare Division at the Ministry of Agriculture. The judge ruled that the state acted within its authority and that claims of bias were unfounded.
The Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv has rejected a petition filed against the selection of Dr. Chen Henig for the position of Head of the Animal Welfare Division at the Ministry of Agriculture. The plaintiffs had requested a court order to annul the tender and initiate a new one, arguing that the state had improperly relaxed threshold conditions during the second round of the process.
The petitioners further alleged that the change in criteria lacked professional justification and that the examination committee was biased, claiming its members lacked sufficient expertise in animal welfare and held professional ties to the Director of Veterinary Services.
The state argued that modifying the threshold conditions was well within its authority, noting that previous tenders had failed to yield a suitable candidate and that only one applicant met the requirements in the initial round of the current tender.
Dr. Henig, represented by attorneys Shahar Hoffman and Anat Lazar of the Ben-Ari, Fish firm, maintained that she fully met the eligibility criteria. With over four years of experience in veterinary medicine—spanning private practice and the Volcani Institute—she asserted that her selection was based strictly on her qualifications and professional merits.
Judge Iris Rash ruled that canceling a tender is an extreme remedy reserved for cases of fundamental flaws, which were not present here:
"The state was authorized to change the threshold conditions, and the relaxation was intended to increase the number of candidates, especially in light of the fact that in the first tender, only one candidate met the conditions."
The court further determined that the committee's composition complied with Civil Service Regulations and that no evidence of dependency or bias existed. Dr. Henig received the highest scores in personal evaluations. Consequently, each of the two plaintiffs was ordered to pay 20,000 shekels in court costs and 25,000 shekels in attorney fees.
Attorneys Shahar Hoffman and Anat Lazar stated:
"Finally, after years and countless proceedings to thwart her selection, the court has completely rejected the baseless claims directed at her and the tender, and clarified that she was selected for the position lawfully and justly."
