Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday announced the appointment of Shai Aharonovitz, a veteran of the Israel Tax Authority, as the new head of the office.
Aharonovitz, 48, who has been serving as senior deputy director of the Israel Tax Authority will replace Eran Yaacov, who has served as the authority’s chief for more than five years.
The 22-year Israel Tax Authority veteran is expected to take up his new position subject to government approval, which is scheduled for next week, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Smotrich tapped attorney Aharonovitz from a final list of three candidates recommended by a search committee chaired by the Finance Ministry’s Director General Shlomi Heisler. All three candidates were senior Tax Authority officials serving as deputies to the outgoing head Yaacov, the ministry said.
“The fact that all of the candidates recommended by the search committee are Israel Tax Authority employees is a vote of confidence and trust in the authority and the choice between them was difficult since they are all veterans and experienced and all presented professional plans to advance the authority under their leadership,” said Smotrich.
“I am convinced that Shai is the right man in the right place to lead the Tax Authority in the coming years and drive it toward a new technological era that will focus on collection and improving services and cracking down on black market money and organized crime.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the Knesset on August 16, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Aharonovitz started his career at the Israel Tax Authority in 2001, where he held various roles across all areas of the tax office and managed headquarters and field units as well as advancing legislative reforms and amendments. Over the past five and a half years, he served as senior deputy director at the Tax Authority responsible for managing real estate and land taxation offices.
Aharonovitz led various automation processes such as the automatic execution of tax assessments and the digitization of all the historical data at the Tax Authority. Furthermore, he spearheaded the introduction of online reporting services for the public and the integration of internet systems and services into a national service center.
Smotrich added that he was very impressed by Aharonovitz’s “orderly work, his in-depth knowledge of the authority’s various roles and departments, and his high motivation for public service.”
