State Audit Reveals Corruption Allegations in Holon Municipality Under Mayor Shay Kinnan

A recent State Comptroller report has uncovered a three million shekel deficit in the election campaign of Holon Mayor Shay Kinnan, alongside multiple appointments of his associates to municipal and subsidiary company positions. The report details that Kinnan's campaign expenditures reached nearly seven million shekels, while revenues were only four million. Shortly after the elections, Kinnan's campaign manager, Haim Gradinger, was awarded a five-year strategic consulting contract worth approximately six million shekels by the municipality.

Opposition leader Moran Israel criticized these appointments, accusing Kinnan of turning the city into a "job arrangement for associates" and labeling the contract award as corruption. The committee selecting Gradinger included Kinnan appointees, raising further conflict of interest concerns. Legal expert Ayala Honigman emphasized the need for transparency in such cases.

Another controversial case involved Ayelet Cohen, Kinnan's third-ranked candidate, who resigned from the council the day after the elections to become CEO of the Economic Company, later receiving a salary for a non-existent role. Additional benefits were granted to other associates, including a 25% rent discount for Ofir Ohale, whose wife runs a studio in a municipal park, a benefit not extended to other tenants.

Several other candidates from Kinnan's list have been employed in municipal roles funded by public money, including Nitzan Sitbon as Infrastructure Committee Chair and Zohar Neumark as Deputy Mayor. Despite a Ministry of Interior directive to cease her advisory role, Einav Bashari-Kaplan continues to consult for Kinnan.

The Holon municipality rejected the allegations, asserting all activities comply with legal and administrative standards. Gradinger's consultancy firm denied any wrongdoing, and Sitbon clarified her company has no business activities in Holon.