Zelicha. 'Situation in Israel serious' Photo: Gil Yohanan
Accountant general: Israel more corrupt than world thinks
During Hebrew University conference, Yaron Zelicha says, 'Israel won the 34th place on the World Corruption Index. We're lucky that the researchers are unaware of the entire truth'
The State of Israel
is more corrupt than appears to an observer from the outside, the Finance Ministry's Accountant General Dr. Yaron Zelicha believes.
"Israel won the 34th place on the World Corruption Index. We're lucky that the researchers are unaware of the entire truth," Dr. Zelicha said Monday evening during a conference on corruption in the public administration held at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
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Zelicha continued to blast the system, adding that "many have recently spoken against those fighting corruption, claiming that we are making a mountain out of a mole hill. These same people are using their good reputation in order to testify that they have not encountered any unacceptable norms. This is practically the modern version of The Three Monkeys."
"Some of those people dare to preach about the connections between capital and government," Zelicha said. "The situation in the country is serious and requires reinforced control mechanisms, which may be unnecessary in other countries.
"In Israel, the lack of antibodies is causing despair to the entire system. Corruption is causing demoralization and is causing the people to believe that they are not responsible for their own fate."
Zelicha added that "the control mechanisms must be strengthened – more internal auditors in the governmental offices. Today their status is low and their promotion depends mainly on those being inspected, and this is not a normal situation. The internal auditors are weak and unfelt and are being used as a cover-up for non-normative behavior."
Referring to the state comptroller, the general accountant said that he "must work in real time and not submit reports in retrospect."
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