BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday announced the appointment of outgoing Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon as the new director of the Israel Lands Authority (ILA).

The ILA is a government body which deals with public land and housing projects. The need for cheaper housing has been a significant issue during the election campaign, with several parties pledging reforms in the housing market. Kahlon announced that he was leaving politics three months ago, but has appeared in election adverts endorsing the joint Likud-Beitenu list. He is considered a popular figure both inside and outside the Likud Party and is widely credited with reforming Israel’s mobile phone market and reducing costs for consumers.

Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said, “I am sure that uniting with Kahlon will lower housing prices the same way that Kahlon lowered mobile phone prices.” Kahlon himself said that under his leadership, the ILA would release more land for housing projects, creating competition and driving down prices, commenting “Expensive land means expensive apartments, cheap land means cheap apartments.”

However, the press conference was banned from broadcast by Central Election Committee chairman Justice Elyakim Rubenstein, who ruled that it breached restrictions on electioneering in the days immediately prior to Tuesday’s vote.

In addition, Netanyahu’s political rivals condemned making the appointment just two days before the election as a political stunt. The Labour Party announced that it would appeal Kahlon’s selection, which Labour MK Eitan Cabel said was the result of Netanyahu’s, “hysterics over the loss of mandates.” Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said the appointment showed Netanyahu, “prefers gimmicks to organised solutions to the serious problems of the Israeli middle class.” Meanwhile, Ariel Atias, the current ILA chairman and Housing Minister, who represents the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, called the appointment, “ridiculous…two days prior to elections”, and said Netanyahu had “resolutely opposed” him over “discounts for young couples.”