The complainant's vehicle was requisitioned by the IDF for operational purposes. The Ombudsman office recieved a complaint about the non-receipt of payment from the Ministry of Defense
The complainant’s vehicle, used for his work as a gardener, was requisitioned by the IDF for operational purposes in mid-October 2024. He submitted a complaint to the Ombudsman, claiming that the Ministry of Defense had failed to pay him for the use of the vehicle. The complainant noted that the requisitioned vehicle was his work vehicle, and without it, he was struggling to carry out his job as a gardener. He added that in order to receive payment for the use of the vehicle, he was required to issue monthly invoices to the Ministry of Defense for the anticipated usage fees and pay VAT (value added tax) on those invoices, yet the Ministry failed to pay him on time. As a resulthe faced financial hardship .
In January 2025, shortly after submitting the complaint and before it had been formally reviewed, the complainant reported that he had received a partial payment for the requisition of his vehicle, covering only the second half of October 2024.
The Ministry of Defense informed the Ombudsman that it transfers payments to vehicle owners within a few days of receiving information from the IDF about the requisition of their vehicles, and that the IDF acted with considerably delay in supplying this information to the Ministry. The IDF, on the other hand, claimed that the relevant information concerning the requistion of the complainant's vehicle had already been sent to the Ministry of Defense in a timely manner.
Following the Ombudsman’s intervention, the Ministry of Defense transferred payment to the complainant for November and December 2024. The Ministry apologized for the delay and stated that it was doing its utmost to reduce the time between the vehicle's requisition and the transfer of payment.
The Ombudsman explained to the Ministry of Defense that there was a clear injustice in requisitioning a vehicle that serves as its owner’s primary work tool while providing compensation only about three months later (more than two months after the invoices were issued), and considering that the owner was required to pay VAT in the amount of several thousands of shekels. The Ombudsman emphasized that the Ministry of Defense should have been better prepared for the requisition of vehicles and ensured a speedier compensation process. This is especially true given that the requisition in question took place a full year after the war began – a period sufficient for such preparations to have been made.
