The Marker, Gili Melnitsky, 29.11.2020

Members of the board of directors of the new Amidar, the government company for public housing, will convene tonight (Sunday) to appoint a new CEO and chairman of the company. Surprisingly, the people who work hard to influence the outcome of the discussion and appointments - the Minister of Construction and Housing, Yaakov Litzman, and the Minister in charge of government companies, David (Dudi) Amsalem - will not be present at all.

However, it still seems that the result is expected in advance: Litzman's candidate , Yair Zilberstein, will probably be appointed chairman of the company's board of directors, and he will later try to influence the identity of the CEO - even though the search committee has already ended its role and elected CEO. Will only occur if the directors are required to hold an in-depth and professional discussion on the good of the company, and not on the good of the appointed ministers.

The elected CEO will be presented to the board tonight by the search committee that has been working on the issue in recent months - headed by the ousted chairman Kobi Amsalem , the former head of the Ministry of Finance's salary. Amsalem ended his term a few weeks ago, after being appointed for only one year by former Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and former Housing and Construction Minister Yifat Shasha-Bitton. Until recently, Kobi Amsalem served as an active chairman who serves part-time and is very involved in Amidar's affairs.

Yair Zilberstein Photo: Tali Meyer

Litzman and Gur Hassidut, which has an extensive real estate arm, see government companies as a significant tool for addressing the Hassidic public.

Zilberstein, on the other hand, joined the company's board less than two weeks ago and is considered a candidate on behalf of Litzman, who is close to senior figures in Torah Judaism , including Moti Babchik, the minister's bureau director. Zilberstein and Litzman have known each other since the days when Zilberstein was health coordinator in the budget department at the Ministry of Finance and Litzman served as health minister.

From 2017 to April 2020, Zilberstein served as CFO of the Maccabi HMO. Prior to that, in 2015, he worked as head of the budget department at Nata for a little over a year. Zilberstein is also one of a number of close officials and politicians who were hosted in February 2020 at the bar mitzvah of Babchik's son.

The appointment of the chairman "on behalf of the minister" is a move that has been repeated over the years in many government companies, but it is estimated that this time Litzman will also work to thwart the appointment of the CEO selected by the search committee. That Zilberstein will promote for him and Dudi Amsalem, after Litzman and his men tried in recent weeks to contact Amidar and the Companies Authority in an attempt to slow down the search committee and allow a new chairman of the board to be a partner in the election.

The Rebbe of Gur Photo: Lior Mizrahi / Baob

The appointment of a chairman "on behalf of the minister" is a move that has been repeated over the years in many government companies, but it is estimated that this time Litzman will also work to thwart the appointment of the CEO.

Litzman's entourage argues that the chairman of a government company and the CEO should be able to work together, and it is more than trivial that Zilberstein - if appointed new chairman - will appoint CEO Kobi Amsalem, the outgoing chairman, who is not considered a "yes-man" "He who accepts Litzman's requests and may find himself kicked out. Even if the board approves the appointments, the ministers' signature is still required to complete the appointment.

Amidar facing a crossroads

The difficult questions that need to be raised tonight in the discussion concern the degree of Zilberstein's professional suitability for a social and demanding position regarding public inquiries and vulnerable populations, without taking into account his relationship with the Rebbe of Gur. Another question should examine the ability An incumbent legal advisor, VP of operations, VP of marketing and customer relations, VP of business development, and without the head of the Southern District - all positions that are not currently staffed by the company, which will be required to be appointed under a completely new CEO and chairman.

These issues arise against the background of the Corona crisis, which has deepened social disparities and is expected to increase the demand for public housing assistance.

These issues arise against the backdrop of the corona crisis, which has deepened social disparities and is expected to increase the demand for public housing assistance. It is estimated that several boards will make it difficult for Litzman and raise professional questions: Adv. Golomb-Flanner Ayelet, who also serves as chairman of the audit committee at Amidar and formerly a consultant in the administrative and legal field for the firm of Adv. Agmon & Co. Rosenberg Hacohen & Co. where she served as a partner; H. Zuckerman Dalia, sits on Amidar's Audit Committee, Director of the Development and Fundraising Division at ALU, also a director of Maabarot products;

Kobi Amsalem, outgoing chairman of AmidarPhoto: Olivier Fitoussi

The directors who are expected to support the ministerial position are: CPA Nadir Peer, who recently entered his second term as a director of the company; Bitton Natan, whose term is expected to end at the end of 2020 and is considered close to the Likud, Appointed by Yoav Galant of the Likud;

Another director who is likely to side with the ministers is Gilad Bar-Adon, who was himself on the list of nominees for senior positions in the company and until September served as Amidar's VP in charge of initiating and promoting projects at the company. He is known as a man who knows the company well and has even worked with Kobi Amsalem. Another director who is not clear if he will attend the meeting tonight and what his position is is Imad Fares - appointed by Yoav Galant and considered close to him. It has not yet been clarified whether the ministers have signed a renewal of his term for another term as the company's director, but according to current estimates, he is expected to attend the meeting.

Litzman and Gur Hassidut, which has an extensive real estate arm, see government companies as a significant tool for addressing the Hassidic public under two caps: on the one hand, increasing the response to the ultra-Orthodox with few children and many children. Aviv, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak and more. Litzman sees great importance in appointing an associate in these companies for the next three years, mainly under the threat of a government crackdown in the coming week, and alongside other sectoral moves he is promoting vigorously - including a grant programfor the purchase of second-hand apartments in the periphery.