Head of Government Companies Authority resigns after repeated clashes with Likud minister

Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

(L) MK David Amsalem in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022; and (R) Michal Rosenbaum. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90; Finance Ministry)
(L) MK David Amsalem in Tel Aviv, December 8, 2022; and (R) Michal Rosenbaum. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90; Finance Ministry)

Government Companies Authority director Michal Rosenbaum resigns following a months-long battle with Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem, citing his ministry’s pending takeover of her department on Monday.

In her resignation letter, Rosenbaum tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that she is leaving her position “due to the improper actions” of Amsalem, arguing that his behavior had prevented her from carrying out her duties properly.

In Amsalem’s eyes, “the government companies are not a public resource but a ‘pool of jobs,’ which should be used to accumulate power and political status,” she argues, asserting that he “exerted tremendous pressure on me and the authority to support the appointment of political activists” while the prime minister “chose to ignore, to remain silent and to practically enable the conduct of the minister.”

The Government Companies Authority was traditionally part of the Finance Ministry, but Amsalem insisted it come under his control as part of the agreement he made with Netanyahu to join the cabinet.

Amsalem has been pushing for Rosenbaum’s termination for months, claiming that she was unsuitable for the position because she had disobeyed his orders and bullied employees.

In response, Rosenbaum charged that Amsalem was working to make illegitimate and political appointments at dozens of government companies.

Responding to Rosenbaum’s resignation, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel states that he “regrets” her decision, calling her a “dedicated public servant.” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tweets that her exit is a “victory for corruption, for the culture of the jobbers, for the appointments of associates and the crushing of the civil service.”

Most Popular