State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Matanyahu Engelman, appeared at the National Ressurection and Resilience Conference of Ynet and "Yediot Ahronoth" (February 20, 2024) and addressed a series of issues on the public agenda and the agenda of the state audit.
The auditor said that following his recent tour of the border, he instructed his office teams to start an audit of the defense of residents living in the "Jerusalem Envelope".
"State audit teams are already present in the field. We shall examine gaps in the "Jerusalem Envelope" barrier in the face of current threats; the fitness of crossings; the preparedness of the police and military for infiltration scenarios by terrorists; scenarios that had not been prepared for before October 7 – as well as discussions held on the matter in the security cabinet."
The Comptroller emphasized that "as Ramadan approaches, the failures that existed in the south must not be repeated. The government must prepare for this thoroughly, including inspections at all checkpoints surrounding Jerusalem. I am very concerned, this must be prepared for. The failures that existed in the south must not be repeated."
In a conversation with journalist Yair Kraus, Comptroller Engelman addressed the following topics as well:
On auditing the war: "The audits are directed toward all levels – political, military, and civilian – from issues related to the home front to the Prime Minister's Office. In places of such essential failure, we will hold accountable all the individuals and entities subject to state audit – from the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and relevant ministers, including both military and civilian ranks. Our examinations apply to everyone."
On the interface between the state audit and the state commission of inquiry: if a state commission of inquiry is established, we will coordinate the areas of jurisdiction with it. This is what we did after the Meron disaster as well. At the same time, every party must ask itself what it needs to do – and our job is to audit. We cannot take a break. There must be objective and thorough auditing."
On the audit reports that gave warnings: "The state audit also deals with routine emergency preparedness. In recent years, we have published a series of reports regarding the October 7th issues, including the preparedness of alert squads and population evacuation. For example, a report we published two years ago showed that no plans exist for the evacuation of Sderot and Kiryat Shemona. If October 7th teaches us anything, it is the importance of decision-makers to be attentive to criticism and draw lessons in a timely manner.
On the audit's independence: "It is a sign of the strength of Israel's democracy – having an independent and autonomous entity that decides when to conduct audits and carries them out independently. My only commitment is to the Israeli public."
