Israeli Treasury Rejects Former Military Advocate General’s Retirement Terms, Citing Unauthorized Payments

The Israeli Ministry of Finance’s Accountant General has declared that the retirement agreement reached between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the former Military Advocate General (MAG) is invalid due to lack of required financial oversight. A letter sent on August 25 to the IDF’s Personnel Directorate head, Brigadier General Dado Bar Kalifa, revealed that 90% of the final payment to the former MAG was already disbursed without the knowledge of the IDF’s Chief Accountant, Amit Segal. The remaining 10% will not be paid until the conclusion of ongoing criminal proceedings against her, and final financial rights will only be determined in coordination with the Accountant General’s office.

The core dispute between the Treasury and the IDF centers on who holds the authority to approve the former MAG’s retirement terms and payments. The IDF contends that the Chief of Staff alone can decide these matters, while the Treasury insists that any payments from state funds must be supervised and approved by the Accountant General. The Accountant General, Michal Abadi-Boiangiu, emphasized that the Chief of Staff cannot unilaterally authorize such payments without passing the necessary financial controls.

Further controversy arose over information sharing, with the IDF initially refusing to provide the Treasury with personal payment details related to the former MAG. This claim was rejected by the Accountant General, who insisted that oversight requires full access to relevant data. The IDF later agreed to transfer the information.

The Accountant General also criticized the IDF for covering the legal fees of the former MAG’s attorney during negotiations over her retirement benefits, stating that this arrangement lacked proper approval and thus holds no validity. She instructed the IDF not to finalize any retirement payments until the criminal case concludes and proper coordination with the Treasury is ensured. Any payments made before then will be considered advances subject to future adjustment.