Internal Auditors' Warning: The Vacuum at the State Comptroller's Office Abandons Whistleblowers

The president of the Internal Auditors' Association, CPA Doron Ronen, issued an urgent call to the heads of authorities, warning that Israel has been operating for over a month without a State Comptroller, Ombudsman, or acting replacement. He stated that the vacuum abandons whistleblowers and internal auditors without legal protection. The vacuum was created following Englman's resignation and an interim order by the High Court that froze the appointment of Ravillo.

The president of the Internal Auditors' Association, CPA Doron Ronen, issued an urgent call today (Wednesday) to the heads of government authorities - the Prime Minister, the Knesset Speaker, and the President of the Supreme Court. In his appeal, Ronen warned that the State of Israel has been operating for over a month in an unprecedented vacuum without a State Comptroller, without an Ombudsman, and without an acting replacement. Ronen clarified that the lack of staffing abandons the gatekeepers, leaves employees and whistleblowers without the legally based safety net, and severely damages the audit systems in Israel. He emphasized that the Ombudsman is the only authority authorized to issue urgent protection orders and prevent dismissals or harassment of public employees and internal auditors who exposed failures. Ronen warns that this abandonment sends a destructive message that "you are alone," which could create deep deterrence and paralyze the willingness to eradicate corruption. The vacuum was created following the resignation of the previous Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, in early July, and the legal-political crisis that developed around the appointment of his successor. The High Court issued an interim order freezing the entry into office of attorney Michael Ravillo, following petitions claiming flaws in the secret vote in the Knesset.