National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has accused Land Authority Director Avi Cohen of undermining government efforts to combat illegal construction in the Negev, while the authority rejected the allegations and said ministry records contradict the minister’s claims.
In a strongly worded letter to the legal adviser of his ministry, Ben-Gvir wrote that Cohen "is not carrying out his role properly and is harming the Government of Israel’s policy on enforcing the law in the Negev."
Ben-Gvir claimed that enforcement activity by the authority has declined significantly during Cohen’s tenure, particularly in the Negev, despite what he described as increased enforcement by other government bodies. "The results speak for themselves - a significant decline in the authority’s enforcement activity across nearly the entire country and especially in the Negev," Ben-Gvir wrote.
The minister also criticized Cohen’s extended absence from his position in recent months due to reserve duty, claiming that he has not participated in ministerial committee discussions and that appointing a deputy to act in his place has harmed the authority’s functioning.
Ben-Gvir contrasted the authority’s performance with that of the Israel Land Authority and the Nature and Parks Authority, which he said have recorded "a dramatic increase in enforcement of illegal construction in the Negev." He also pointed to cooperation with the Israel Police, which he said provides extensive resources for enforcement operations.
The minister accused Cohen of seeking to reduce enforcement in Bedouin communities in the Negev and at other crime targets, saying this contradicted the policy of the National Security Ministry and professional recommendations. Ben-Gvir argued that the alleged reduction came at a time when the government was beginning to reverse years of what he described as widespread lawlessness and declining new construction in the area.
Ben-Gvir further accused Cohen of acting contrary to Government Decision 1677 and attempting to delay the completion of the authority’s transfer to the National Security Ministry. "Cohen refuses to carry out oversight, refuses to update on the actual staffing level, and refuses to embed the authority’s budget within the ministry’s general budget," Ben-Gvir wrote.
He also alleged that Cohen has opposed the transfer among authority employees, claiming that he "incites against the ministry and the minister" and warns employees that completing the transfer could require them to work in areas of Judea and Samaria.
The dispute also concerns the authorization of planning and construction inspectors. Earlier, the ministry’s legal adviser, attorney Ariel Seizel, contacted Ben-Gvir regarding authorization letters for dozens of inspectors working in local authorities.
According to Seizel, approximately 45 inspectors have been waiting for the minister’s signature since December 2025, while another 35 are expected to complete their training soon. Without the required authorization, he said, the inspectors "cannot carry out their role in enforcing the Planning and Construction Law."
The Land Authority rejected Ben-Gvir’s allegations, arguing that ministry documents show the opposite. The authority said requests to authorize dozens of inspectors have been awaiting the minister’s signature since December 2025, after the inspectors were found to meet the relevant legal requirements.
According to the authority, the ministry’s legal adviser himself raised the issue and clarified that the inspectors cannot perform their enforcement duties until the authorization letters are signed.
Cohen also reportedly contacted the ministry’s director-general and warned that the delay was harming enforcement in local authorities and affecting the employment conditions of some inspectors.
The authority said the claim that it is responsible for the delay is inconsistent with the documentation and repeated requests sent to the ministry seeking the minister’s signature on the pending authorizations.