New Legal Advisor to the Competition Authority: Adv. Yonatan Zweikel
Zweikel, who has served in recent years as Deputy Legal Advisor at the Competition Authority in the civil-administrative field, will replace Adv. Yael Sheinin, who retired this week. Following this appointment, most legal advisory positions in government ministries are now filled.
The tender committee has selected Adv. Yonatan Zweikel as the new Legal Advisor to the Competition Authority. He will replace Adv. Yael Sheinin, who held the position for the past five years and retired this week.
Zweikel (45) has served in recent years as Deputy Legal Advisor at the Competition Authority in the civil-administrative field. He holds a degree in Law and Economics from the Hebrew University. Zweikel joined the Competition Authority as an intern in 2008, later as an attorney, and five years later was sent to represent the Authority at the OECD, where he conducted research on cartels and data. Subsequently, he served as a team leader in the legal department for six years in various fields.
Among the cases Zweikel accompanied:
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Opposition to the merger of Strauss with Meshek Weil and the imposition of a financial sanction due to merger actions contrary to the Authority's position.
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The imposition of a financial sanction on El Al at the beginning of the year, subject to a hearing, on the grounds that it abused its monopolistic status and prevented Arkia from accessing aircraft maintenance hangars at Ben Gurion Airport.
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Opposition to the El Al and Israir merger in 2018, which led to the withdrawal of the application.
The legal department of the Competition Authority includes 30 attorneys dealing with civil and criminal law. The legal department handles criminal cases investigated by the Authority's investigation division and accompanies merger applications, monopoly declarations, the imposition of financial sanctions, and directives for concentrated groups. The department also represents the Authority in the Competition Tribunal regarding appeals filed against the Authority's decisions.
Following this appointment, most legal advisory positions in government ministries are now filled. The ministries that remain unfilled are the Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, a position that has not been filled since Adv. Shlomit Barnea-Fargo retired in 2025 after 22 years in the role. The National Public Transport Authority also lacks a legal advisor. A tender for the position was scheduled for June, but it was canceled at the last minute on the grounds that the CEO had flown abroad at the last moment. A month and a half has passed since, and no new date for the tender has been set.
