BackOn 22 May 2013 the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, Judge (ret.) Joseph Haim Shapira, presented to the Chairman of the Israeli parliament (The Knesset) the 39th Annual Report of the Ombudsman for the year 2012.
This is the first annual report to be presented by Judge Shapira in his capacity as Ombudsman since he began his term of office as State Comptroller and Ombudsman, in July 2012.
At the outset of his office as State Comptroller and Ombudsman, Judge Shapira announced his intention to place emphasis on the protection of the social rights of the weaker classes of society - the disabled, the elderly, new immigrants and other groups of people who for various reasons are situated on the outskirts of society and have difficulty exercising their legal rights. Indeed, the complaints described in the report bear witness to the special attention given to these groups of people by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Thus, in this report a chapter has been assigned to a description of the handling of complaints of Holocaust survivors and their families concerning the violation of rights and benefits to which they are entitled. In light of the past suffering of Holocaust victims, their advanced age and the debt owed to them by Israeli society, the Office of the Ombudsman does everything in its power to assist them in the prompt implementation of their rights.
The Ombudsman emphasized in the annual report that the year 2012 had reached an all-time record – more than 15,000 new complaints had been received that year – and that since 2005 the annual number of complaints had almost doubled.
One of the reasons for the increase in the number of complaints during recent years is the activity of the regional reception offices of the Office of the Ombudsman. The purpose of these regional offices, which were opened over the last few years throughout the country, was to increase the accessibility of the Office of the Ombudsman to the weaker populations living mainly in the periphery. In December 2012 an additional regional office was opened in Kiryat Shmona, situated in the northern tip of the country, and it immediately started serving, with success, the residents of the far North.
Further information about the Israeli model of bringing the Ombudsman institution closer to the weak populations can be found in the publication "Bringing People Closer", which appears on the internet site of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel.
An additional measure taken to increase the accessibility of the ombudsman institution is the recent creation of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman Facebook page. It is to be assumed that the creation of this page will boost exposure of the institution on the internet.
Due to the constant increase in the number of complaints, the Office of the Ombudsman is continually striving to develop ways of improving the efficiency and quality of the investigation process. These include the investigation of suitable complaints by means of mediation. Experience has taught that this is one of the most effective ways of resolving disputes between the individual and the authority, providing solutions to the satisfaction of the parties, as well as shortening in most cases the investigation period.
The Chairman of the Knesset pointed out that the Office of the Ombudsman is a highly important instrument in the "cleansing of stables" and the rectifying of injustices. He pointed out further that the number of complaints filed to the Office reached a record in 2012 and he called to the public to increase their use of this institution.
Source: Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman
