Knesset Legal Advisor Tops Salary List with Over 76,000 Shekels Monthly
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The Legal Advisor to the Knesset, Shagith Afik, was the highest-paid senior official in 2025, earning an average of over 76,000 shekels monthly. Data obtained by the Movement for Freedom of Information revealed significant salary disparities among 39 senior positions, including those in similar roles. The Knesset faced criticism for its reluctance to release the salary information, which was eventually obtained through a court petition. The figures represent gross salaries before deductions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Knesset Legal Advisor Shagith Afik earned over 76,000 shekels monthly in 2025.
- Data revealed significant salary gaps among 39 senior Knesset positions.
- A committee director earned over 809,000 shekels annually.
- The Movement for Freedom of Information criticized the Knesset's transparency.
- The salary figures are gross amounts before taxes and deductions.
The Legal Advisor to the Knesset, Adv. Shagith Afik, earned an average of over 76,000 shekels per month in 2025, making her the highest-paid senior official in the Knesset that year. Annual gross salary data, obtained by the Movement for Freedom of Information after a legal battle, reveals that Afik's yearly gross income was 917,143 shekels. The data covers 39 senior positions within the Knesset and highlights significant salary disparities among employees in similar roles, according to a report by Maariv.
Following Afik, a committee director ranked second with an annual salary of 809,123 shekels, and the Knesset Secretary was third, earning 806,148 shekels annually. Other high earners include deputy directors and the Knesset's security officer, with annual salaries around 781,000 and 780,000 shekels, respectively. The Knesset Director-General received a gross annual salary of 767,026 shekels, averaging about 63,919 shekels per month.
The report also points to substantial pay gaps within identical job categories. For instance, while one committee director earned over 809,000 shekels, 13 other committee directors had annual salaries ranging from 455,833 to 536,666 shekels, a difference exceeding 353,000 shekels. Similar discrepancies were noted among legal advisors to committees and deputy directors, with salary ranges varying significantly.
The information was provided in an official letter from the Knesset to the Movement for Freedom of Information following a request filed in February. The Knesset stated that employee privacy was maintained, and only individuals whose positions are publicly known were identified. The figures represent gross annual salaries before taxes and deductions, and the reasons for the pay disparities, such as seniority or workload, were not detailed.
Attorneys from the Movement for Freedom of Information criticized the Knesset's handling of the data release, arguing that the need to petition a court for the information demonstrates a lack of public transparency. They asserted that such data should be proactively published by the Knesset in accordance with the law, especially from an institution that oversees transparency in other government bodies.
