Israel Malachi named new director general of Finance Ministry

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich appoints Israel Malachi as the new director general of the ministry. Malachi will replace outgoing director-general Ilan Rom.

Rom informed Smotrich in late March that he was resigning from his position upon the Knesset’s passage of the state budget, which took place last month.

Malachi, 49, has served as deputy director general of the ministry for the past three and a half years and as a member of the ministry’s management. In his role, Malachi led the rehabilitation of southern border communities and reconstruction of the north in the wake of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Previously, he served as treasurer of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council in the West Bank, as a member of the KKL board of directors, and on that organization’s finance committee.

“What the Finance Ministry and the Israeli economy need now are stability and functional continuity,” says Smotrich. “The appointment of Israel Malachi as director general of the ministry is a natural and necessary continuation of his role as deputy director general, which he performs with great talent and success.”

Rom was appointed Finance Ministry director general in January 2025 to help strengthen Israel’s economic resilience during the war with the Hamas terror group in Gaza. During his tenure, Rom steered the state budgets for 2025 and 2026, led negotiations with the defense establishment over spending, and was involved in fighting corruption alongside the Tax Authority.