An expanded panel of the High Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled in favor of the government’s position that the Civil Service commissioner does not need to be appointed in a competitive process, reversing a ruling of a smaller panel of judges who had blocked the government’s proposed appointment process last year.

The ruling comes as a blow to Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, who wrote the majority opinion in May 2025 that the Civil Service commissioner must be appointed in a competitive process to guarantee the independence, impartiality, and apolitical nature of the role.

In Tuesday’s ruling by the expanded panel of five justices, three of Amit’s colleagues overturned that decision, with Amit himself and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez dissenting.

The ruling may also be seen as a rebuke to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who opposed the government’s position and backed maintaining a competitive process for the appointment.

The Civil Service commissioner oversees the tens of thousands of civil servants working in the ranks of Israel’s Civil Service. The commissioner has authority over how appointments are made within the Civil Service, disciplinary actions for civil servants, and enforcing political neutrality in the provision of services. The commissioner is also a statutory member on the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which helps appoint some of the most important officials in the country, such as the Shin Bet chief, the IDF chief of........

© The Times of Israel