Controversial nomination for IAA director

POLITICS AND ARCHAEOLOGY: Esther Shreiber for next IAA director, first woman in role. Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government (Miriam Sela-Eitam, Jerusalem Post).

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu tapped Esther Shreiber, CEO of the INEXTG Group, to be the next director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which would make her the first woman to ever serve in the position.

Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government. ...

She holds a bachelor’s degree in the History of the Jewish People from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a master’s degree with honors in Public Administration and Policy from the University of Haifa, and is a Stern Prize recipient for studies of the Second Temple period.

The Jerusalem Post notes and discusses the controversy over the nomination, but doesn't seem to take a position on it. Othe media are less neutral:

Head of NGO Promoting 'Jewish Values' Tapped to Lead Israel's Antiquities Authority. Esther Schreiber was nominated under pressure from far-right minister Amichai Eliyahu, sources said. A senior archaeologist warned the authority could face 'a process of decline' (Nir Hasson, Haaretz)

Archaeologists within and outside the authority reacted with shock to the appointment, calling it unprofessional. According to them, Schreiber lacks the qualifications to lead the authority, and her work has no connection to archaeology or managing large organizations such as the authority, whose annual budget exceeds 400 million shekels (about $138 million).

Heritage Minister taps new Antiquities Authority head with no archaeological experience (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel)

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, taps Esther Shreiber, a Jewish professional with no archaeological experience, as the new head of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

[...]

The Times of Israel does concede the following (also mentioned by the Jerusalem Post).

The current IAA head Eli Escozido also does not have a background in archaeology, nor did his predecessor, former Shin Bet deputy director Israel Hasson, who served in the position between 2014 and 2021.

Haaretz hints at the point, but doesn't state it directly.

There are conflicting claims about Ms. Schreiber's current position and its responsibilities. There are also reports of insider claims from various anonymous sources, which I discount on principle. It is not always easy to distiguish the latter from official statements.

That's the information I can find. I take no position on the nomination. I blog, you decide.

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