Israel’s Civil Service Commission Probes Ties Between Justice Minister and Senior Legal Adviser

Israel’s Civil Service Commission has formally contacted the Ministry of Justice seeking clarification over alleged undisclosed personal and political ties between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the ministry’s senior legal adviser, Yael Kotik, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The inquiry follows a Haaretz investigation that reported close personal relationships between Levin and members of Kotik’s immediate family. The commission opened the review after receiving complaints from members of Knesset and civil society groups, including the Zulat Institute and the Movement for Integrity in Government. Opposition lawmaker Meirav Ben Ari (Yesh Atid) has called for a criminal investigation.

Reported Family and Political Connections

According to Haaretz, Kotik’s brother, Tzachi Yanuka, is a senior Likud activist with close ties to Levin. Her husband, Ailon Kotik, has reportedly been a personal friend of Levin since childhood, with longstanding family connections between the two households.

Despite these ties, Kotik stated in a conflict-of-interest declaration that neither she nor her close associates maintained personal or political relationships with government ministers.

Questions Surrounding the Appointment Process

The report further stated that Levin and senior officials in his office worked to secure Kotik’s appointment as the Justice Ministry’s legal adviser roughly a year ago. A separate Channel 13 report said Levin and the ministry’s director general approached the Civil Service Commission in September 2024 to expand their influence over the selection committee responsible for her appointment.

Neither Levin nor Kotik disclosed the family connections during the selection process, according to the reports. Justice Ministry sources told Haaretz that Kotik had privately acknowledged that her earlier appointment as deputy director general — a sensitive position of trust — was linked to her relationship with the minister, but that she concealed the connection when later applying for the top legal advisory role.

Additional Public Roles and Legal Opinions

In September, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi appointed Kotik as interim chair of Israel’s Cable and Satellite Council, a position she continues to hold.

More recently, amid an investigation involving former Chief Military Prosecutor Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Kotik issued a legal opinion asserting that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara was conflicted and should not be involved in the case. Levin has consistently opposed Baharav-Miara’s role in the matter.

On Tuesday, Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that Levin may appoint an external official to oversee aspects of the case, subject to professional limitations.

Justice Ministry Rejects Allegations

The Justice Ministry strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement responding to the Haaretz reports, the ministry said the claims were “a desperate attempt to tarnish the reputation of a professional public servant with more than 20 years of experience.”

“Notably, these attacks did not surface when Advocate Kotik ruled that the attorney general had no conflict of interest regarding Nadav Argaman and Ronen Bar,” the statement said.

The ministry added that Kotik’s professional interactions with Levin and other ministers were “strictly professional,” arguing that scrutiny of her family members demonstrated “harassment rather than evidence.”

The appointment to the Cable and Satellite Council, the ministry said, was carried out lawfully, replacing a previous legal adviser who had also served on the council.