Yitzhak Kreiss Withdraws Candidacy for Health Ministry Director-General

Prof. Yitzhak Kreiss, director of Sheba Medical Center, informed Health Minister Haim Katz on Sunday morning that he was withdrawing his candidacy for director-general of the Health Ministry. His decision followed an examination of the legal and managerial implications of taking the ministry post while continuing to lead Sheba. Kreiss had initially agreed to the temporary appointment out of a sense of responsibility toward Israel's health system. He withdrew because the legal complexity of arranging safeguards against conflicts of interest prevented the appointment process from being completed within a reasonable time, alongside his commitment to continuing his work at Sheba. Katz thanked Kreiss for agreeing to take on the assignment and praised his professional experience and managerial capabilities. “I respect his decision and his commitment to continuing to lead Sheba Medical Center,” the minister said. On November 9, Katz had announced that Kreiss had accepted his request to serve temporarily as director-general while remaining head of Sheba at Tel Hashomer. The appointment was intended to preserve operational continuity and managerial stability. Kreiss had been expected to start at the end of November, when incumbent director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov was due to finish his term. Bar Siman Tov had notified Katz of his retirement the previous week.