Explainer: Israel’s State Comptroller
The State Comptroller audits the economy, properties, finances, obligations, and the administration of Israel
Israel’s State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman is back under the spotlight, announcing Tuesday that he will probe the alleged use of spyware - including that of NSO Group - by law enforcement agencies on Israeli citizens.
In a statement, the State Comptroller Office said it “places special emphasis on protecting the privacy of Israeli citizens and residents,’ Walla! News reported.
How much authority does Israel's State Comptroller have in such affairs, though? And why is the role so necessary?
State Comptroller: Auditor and Ombudsman
Under Israel's Basic Law, the State Comptroller is tasked with auditing the economy, properties, finances, obligations, and the administration of Israel.
All Israeli governmental ministries, enterprises, institutions, corporations, and local authorities are subject to be inspected by the State Comptroller, encompassing more than 1,400 organizations.
Also appointed as Ombudsman, the figure is tasked with inspecting the legality, integrity, managerial norms, efficiency, and financial frugality of audited bodies, as well as any other matter that is deemed necessary.
The State Comptroller’s office is divided into five major inspection units.
Four are concerned with ministries, defense services, local authorities, and corporations, while the fifth deals with public complaints concerning government bodies.
Currently, the office employs 530 workers - 301 women and 229 men - and 402 of whom are classified as audit grade.
The official’s salary is determined by Israel’s parliament (Knesset), and the office’s budget is decided by the Knesset’s Finance Committee on the recommendation of the State Comptroller.
In 2012, the then-state comptroller reaped a monthly salary of $13,217, according to Haaretz.
Why so important?
Elected by Israel’s parliament (Knesset) by a secret ballot to one seven-year term, the State Comptroller could be considered as the state’s only, completely objective authority figure.
The office answers only to the Knesset, and any findings, opinions, or recommendations are submitted to the parliament, independent of Israel’s government.
Israel’s Basic Law grants the State Comptroller broad authority to receive information from any audited body.
Basically, when any entity within the State of Israel is acting in ill faith or an issue needs to be objectively examined by an independent eye, that is where the State Comptroller comes in.
The scope of the State Comptroller’s auditing provisions is so extensive that virtually all public bodies in Israel come under the scrutiny of the investigative office.
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Past actions
Some cases that the State Comptroller deemed necessary to investigate include:
- A report on the Israeli government’s failure in preparing for the climate crisis.
- Condemning former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Covid pandemic.
- An investigation into the Mount Meron disaster that left 45 people dead and more than 150 injured.
- A report on the Israel Defense Forces not being prepared for a chemical weapons attack.
Comparisons
New York’s State Comptroller in the United States is the closest in comparison to Israel’s auditor.
Thomas P. DiNapoli, the current comptroller, is New York’s chief fiscal officer, ensuring that state and local governments use taxpayer money effectively and efficiently to promote the common good.
The US Government Accountability Office also draws considerable similarities, providing standards for internal controls and financial audits, as well as overseeing other types of government inquiries.