This evening (Monday February 28), State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman participated in a ceremony honoring whistleblowers at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.
The Comptroller praised the staff at Israel's embassies who are working to save Israelis from the war in Ukraine and added: "In contrast – there are those who have been corrupt. And we must not accept them among us. The Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman works to ensure integrity and good governance in all of the audited bodies, and as part of this we are a home and a defender of whistleblowers."
The Comptroller said to the whistleblowers: "Others will see you as an example. You have chosen the right and moral choice – to expose corruption. To remove the lesion that stands like a cloud over quality public service in the State of Israel.
Our role is to defend you, not to let bad happen to the good. Along with the necessary protection from employers, there is also the emotional and mental coping of the employee and his family. Therefore, the Ombudsman's Office within the Office of the State Comptroller has recruited clinical social workers whose job is to accompany whistleblowers and to answer the needs of you and your families.
We will work not only to prevent dismissal, but also to accompany you and to prevent the functioning of whistleblowers from being undermined."