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Ombudsman Englman speaking at the special event at the Knesset
On 20 June 2023, the Office of the Ombudsman of Israel celebrated "National Ombudsday", a day designated for enhancing public awareness of the Office of the Ombudsman and its activities, and the important work of sectoral ombudspersons and public inquiries commissioners in the various public bodies.
National Ombudsday, which was inaugurated by the Knesset in 2020, is also the day on which the Ombudsman's annual report is tabled with the Knesset. Accordingly, on National Ombudsday this year Annual Report 49 for the year 2022 was submitted to the Knesset by State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Mr. Matanyahu Englman
The special event at the Knesset was hosted by Mr. Mickey Levy, Knesset member and Chairman of the State Audit Affairs Committee of the Knesset. The event was attended by staff of the Office of the Ombudsman and representatives from sectoral ombudsman institutions and other public bodies.
Mr. Mickey Levy opened the event, and his welcoming address was followed by those of Mr. Yitzhak Pindrus, Knesset member and Chairman of the Special Committee for Public Inquiries of the Knesset, and Mr. Matanyahu Englman, State Comptroller and Ombudsman.
Dr. Esther Ben-Haim, Head of the Office of the Ombudsman, then gave a presentation of the highlights of Annual Report 49.
Since, as said, National Ombudsday gives recognition to the work of ombudspersons and public inquiries commissioners in the various public bodies, the floor was then given to the heads of public inquiries departments at several of these bodies, including the National Insurance Institute. These speakers shared with the participants the work of their departments, emphasizing the importance of listening to complainants and addressing their grievances.
The event was concluded by two panels that shone a spotlight on "the people behind the complaints", where cases handled by the Office of the Ombudsman and other public bodies were discussed to illustrate the important work of ombudspersons and public inquiries commissioners, and in which a complainant and the lawyer who investigated her complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman participated.
Source: The Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel
