Matanyahu Englman

Gov't failed on hospital defense even after Iran missile hit Beersheba

The Soroka Hospital strike, injuring 80, should have "caused the government to tremble," the comptroller's report found.

The scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage at the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, June 19, 2025.
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks past a public bombshelter with illustration of Israeli soldiers, in northern Israel, September 10, 2025

Israel unprepared for war: One-third of population lacks shelter access, state audit reveals

Matanyahu Englman

Chaos of October 7: What any inquiry must uncover - opinion

Matanyahu Englman

October 7 investigation: High Court freezes core State Comptroller audits, seeks clarification


Israel's High Court hears petitions to halt comptroller's Oct. 7 probe, risking future inquiry

The petitions were filed by the Military Defense Counsel and the NGO the Movement for Quality Government in Israel. The panel consisted of Justices Daphne Barak-Erez, David Mintz, and Alex Stein.

Supreme Court justices preside over a hearing at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, December 1, 2025

Jerusalem in danger of October 7-style invasion due to failed border security, special report says

Israel ignoring lessons from Hamas's invasion from Gaza • IDF lookouts still stationed too close to border • Lack of coordination between Shin Bet, IDF, Israel Police regarding West Bank checkpoints

(Illustrative) People hold Hamas flags as Palestinians gather after performing the last Friday of Ramadan to protest over the possible eviction of several Palestinian families from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, May 7, 2021.

Israel unprepared for foreign interference ahead of 2026 election, comptroller warns

The digital front is fast becoming one of the most vulnerable points in democracy. “During an election year, the threat intensifies and may endanger the democratic process itself,” Englman said.

A man casts his ballot at a voting station on the morning of the municipal elections, in Ashdod, February 27, 2024

Former Shin Bet commander refuses to appear for October 7 audit with State Comptroller

The IDF and Shin Bet have insisted that only a full state commission of inquiry has the legal authority to examine sensitive operational decisions.

Shin Bet Director David Zini with IDF chief Eyal Zamir at a special plenum session in honor of US President Donald Trump at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, October 13, 2025

Israel unprepared for potential terror attack on central light rail, comptroller says

The audit found that no statutory requirement obligates major transportation projects to meet the police's technical and operational security standards during planning, initiation, or tender stages.

 A test drive for the Tel Aviv light rail in Jaffa, on May 17, 2023

Israel’s defense echelon failed to secure critical sites during Iran war, comptroller charges

Some critical Israeli sites were struck by Iranian ballistic missiles during the war, including Beersheba's medical center, the Haifa Bazan oil refinery, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

A building at the campus of the Weizmann Institute of Science remains damaged following an Iranian missile strike on Sunday, in Rehovot, Israel June 19, 2025

Israel's forgotten airport: Ramon Airport security, health safety ignored, comptroller warns

The Jerusalem Post has received indications that since the September attack by the Houthis, there has been some improvement in security for Ramon Airport, but far from sufficient.

View of the Ramon Airport near Eilat, after a drone launched from Yemen struck the airport, September 7, 2025

Israel exposed to bioterrorism threats amid severe biosecurity gaps, comptroller reveals

Matanyahu Englman's report also examined the rapidly advancing field of synthetic biology and concluded that Israel has no regulatory framework for overseeing DNA synthesis.

Employees of the Research Institute for Protective Technologies, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection (WIS) inspect a dummy sample which is contaminated with a substance similar to the chemical weapon Sarin.

Systemic failures in Israel's support for reservists during Gaza war, comptroller warns

Englman concluded that the state must now commit to sweeping structural reforms.

IDF reservists in Gaza.

State comptroller calls out Netanyahu for national security failure ahead of Oct. 7 attack

According to Englman, the absence of such a national security strategy was a serious contributor to being blindsided by Hamas's invasion on October 7.

 The destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 19, 2023.

Israel entered war without economic emergency preparedness, Comptroller report finds

A new report warns that a lack of fiscal preparedness exposed deep weaknesses in Israel's wartime economy, leading to budget breaches and future borrowing risks.

An illustrative image of bitcoin in front of an Israeli flag.