Prof. Yaron Felus named head of Israel Central Bureau of Statistics

The cabinet on Sunday appointed Professor Yaron Felus as the new head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) after his candidacy was backed unanimously by a hiring committee, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

Prior to his appointment, Felus served as head of the Surveying and Geo-Information track in the Department of Engineering at Ariel University. He also served as Chief Scientist of the Survey of Israel and a consultant to the Israel Land Authority.

Following the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Prof. Felus and wished him success.

The appointment did not come without controversy

KAN's Michael Shemesh reported in February that Netanyahu had tried and failed to appoint the current director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office, Yossi Shelley, to the position. Shelley is a long-time Likud member and ally of Netanyahu, and prior to his current position he served as ambassador to Brazil.

Then, in March, Shemesh reported that Shelley had directed the CBS to freeze all hiring until the prime minister chooses an ally to lead the organization, leading opposition leader Yair Lapid to accuse the prime minister of attempting to "control the facts."

However, the procedure to appoint Felus was completed according to protocol, and his appointment received the backing of the aforementioned hiring committee, bringing an end to the saga.