The cabinet today approved Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman's proposal to appoint Yair Shamir as chairman of Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1). Liberman said that Shamir possessed the requisite special qualifications for the post. The procedures for vetting the appointment will continue. Shamir is already chairman of the NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System.
Liberman brought the proposal to the cabinet after the committee for examining appointments in government companies, headed by Judge (ret.) Bilha Gillor, found that Shamir could not serve as IAI chairman because he was already NTA chairman. Shamir, considered an associate of Liberman, has already served as IAI chairman, as well having been Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development representing Yisrael Beitenu, Liberman's party.
Following today's cabinet approval, Shamir's appointment as IAI chairman will be sent to the committee headed by Gillor, which will examine other aspects pertaining to this process. IAI has had no chairman for three months, after previous chairman Rafi Maor resigned. It is believed that the committee will examine Shamir's ties with the company's workers' committee.
Minister of Welfare and Social Services Haim Katz did not take part in today's cabinet vote on Shamir, following a warning by the State Comptroller that he had a conflict of interest in the matter. Katz was previously chairman of the IAI workers' committee, including when Shamir was IAI chairman.
Katz today complained about being barred from voting on Shamir's appointment in the cabinet, saying, "I don't understand the ruling. According to the same principle, (Minister of Construction and Housing) Yoav Galant can't be a cabinet minister, because he was in the army, (Minister of Agriculture) Uri Ariel can't take part in meetings about settlements, and (Minister of Health) Yaakov Litzman and Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galilee Aryeh Deri can't take part in discussions involving the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector. I'm leaving the cabinet meeting, and hope that this discrimination will stop, but I'll continue to take care of the working people in Israel - even if they work at IAI."
Liberman began working for Shamir's nomination last summer, shortly after becoming Minister of Defense. In addition to this appointment, he is also working for the appointments of Yitzhak Aharonovich as chairman of IMI Systems and Uzi Landau as chairman of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. Both Aharonovich and Landau were ministers representing Yisrael Beitenu.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 1, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016