Sheba hospital chief Itzhak Kreiss to run Health Ministry on interim basis

Prof. Itzhak Kreiss will temporarily take over as director-general of Israel's Health Ministry, Ynet reported in a news alert. The appointment is an interim one, filling the senior civil service post at the ministry while a permanent arrangement has yet to be announced.

According to a report by Dafna Liel of N12, the move was made at the request of Health Minister Haim Katz and follows the resignation of Moshe Bar Siman Tov from the role last week. N12 reported that Kreiss will hold the ministry post in parallel with his existing job as head of Sheba Medical Center, meaning he will not step away from running the hospital while serving at the ministry.

What a ministry director-general does

In Israel, each government ministry has a political head, the minister, and a professional head, the director-general. The minister sets policy direction and answers to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and to the cabinet. The director-general is the most senior official in the ministry's administrative structure and is responsible for running its day-to-day work and carrying out the minister's policies.

At the Health Ministry, that role carries particular weight. The ministry regulates the country's health system, oversees hospitals and health services, and shapes decisions on medical budgets and public health. The director-general is often the public face of the ministry on professional questions, while the minister handles the political side.

Who is involved

Prof. Itzhak Kreiss is the director of Sheba Medical Center, according to N12. Sheba, located at Tel HaShomer in the Tel Aviv area, is one of Israel's major hospitals. Under the arrangement N12 described, he will carry two senior jobs at the same time: managing the hospital and acting as the ministry's top civil servant.

Haim Katz is the health minister who, according to N12, asked Kreiss to take on the role. The reports do not quote Katz or describe his reasons for the choice.

Moshe Bar Siman Tov held the director-general post until he resigned last week, N12 reported. Neither report explains why he stepped down.

An interim arrangement

Both outlets describe the appointment as temporary. In Hebrew, the reports say Kreiss will fill the post "zmanit", meaning on a temporary or acting basis. That wording indicates he is covering the vacancy rather than being named as the permanent successor. Neither report gives a time frame for how long the arrangement will last or says whether a search for a permanent director-general is under way.

The dual role is notable because the Health Ministry regulates and funds hospitals, including the one Kreiss continues to run. The reports do not address how that relationship will be handled during his time in the acting post.

What the reports do not say

• Why Moshe Bar Siman Tov resigned, and whether any dispute preceded his departure.
• How long Kreiss is expected to serve in the acting role, and whether he is a candidate for the permanent position.
• Whether the appointment requires or has received approval from the cabinet or the civil service authorities.
• How potential conflicts of interest between running Sheba Medical Center and heading the ministry that oversees it will be managed.
• Any public statement from Kreiss, Katz or Bar Siman Tov on the change.