Just days after the Finance Ministry saw its deputy director-general and deputy accountant-general resign - both citing the ongoing budget dispute between rival government factions in their resignation - two more senior ministry officials are set to vacate their positions at the Budget Department in the coming days, Ynet has learned on Tuesday.
The departure of the officials, who are both currently serving as the Budget Department's deputy directors - follow the lead of the outgoing department director, Shaul Meridor, who resigned while accusing Finance Minister Israel Katz of intentionally sabotaging his work at the ministry.
"There is no doubt that the difficult atmosphere at the ministry is causing people to leave,” said a senior source in the ministry. “There are many more older and younger officials who have decided to leave in recent weeks precisely because of this reason."
These latest departures join a list of prominent figures who have all recently decided to terminate their employment at the treasury, with some blaming Katz for his mismanagement of the state coffer during the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Former director at the Finance Ministry's Budget Department Shaul Meridor, former Finance Ministry Director-General Keren Turner-Eyal
(Photo: Dana Kopel, Amit Shaal)
Among the latest to depart the ministry "under the radar" are Deputy Director-General of Administration and Human Resources Ruti Ashkenazi, Deputy General-Accountant Nechemya Kind, Deputy Director of the Budget Department Ariel Yotzer, and Head of the Strategic Team at the Budget Department Dor Bloch.
Additionally, the ministry’s Accountant-General Roni Hezekiah has also resigned from his position earlier in the month, as well as Director-General Keren Turner-Eyal who appointed by Katz himself less than six months ago.
"The atmosphere in the corridors of the ministry has been very difficult since Turner and Meridor's departure,” another senior ministry official said. “There is no doubt at all that many are looking for their way out because of this situation.”