Israeli High Court petitioned to block IAA head appointment

ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS UPDATE: Archaeologists petition High Court to block appointment of new antiquities authority chief. Petition deepens rift between academics and Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, who have been at loggerheads over a controversial West Bank and Gaza antiquities bill (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

Earlier this month, Eliyahu tapped Esti Shreiber, the head of an NGO affiliated with the Chabad Hasidic movement promoting Jewish values among young people, as the new head of the IAA.

The appointment needs to be approved by both the government and the IAA Council. According to the document presented to the court, the minister has demanded that the council put the issue on the agenda of its upcoming meeting on Monday.

The petitioners argued that the procedure followed by Eliyahu was inconsistent with the legal requirements and that Shreiber inflated her resume to meet the criteria.

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