New Knesset Finance Committee chair faces conflict-of-interest concern over husband's business ties

The Tuesday announcement by leaders of the opposition bloc nominating MK Liran Avisar Ben-Horin of the B'Yachad party to serve as temporary chair of the 26th Knesset Finance Committee has brought potential conflicts of interest arising from her husband's commercial activities to the surface.Avisar Ben-Horin is married to Itai Ben-Horin, who holds a 50 percent stake in the strategic consulting, public relations, and crisis management firm Ben-Horin Alexandrovitz.The firm provides spokesperson and communications advice to a central corridor of prominent Israeli companies, including Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, the credit card company Cal, Strauss Group, the pharmaceutical giant Teva, the investment house Altshuler Shaham, Fox Group, Samsung, Ashtrom, SolarEdge, Africa Israel, and the NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System.The powers of the Finance Committee include approving budgetary transfers, adjustments to the state budget, tax legislation, and promoting structural economic reforms, all of which directly impact these companies and sectors such as banking, retail, and energy.Under Knesset regulations, members of Knesset are not bound by the conflict-of-interest agreements standard in the public service. Instead, they are required to disclose any personal interest or affinity during committee discussions and votes. Consequently, during deliberations directly concerning clients of her husband's firm, the designated chair must declare her connection to them.Conflict-of-interest agreement signed during tenure in Communications MinistryFurthermore, during her tenure as director-general of the Communications Ministry…