Government Ministries in Israel Fail to Meet Transparency Standards in 2025, Report Shows

A report released by the Governmental Freedom of Information Unit in the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday reveals a troubling decline in transparency among Israeli government ministries in 2025. Despite a sharp increase in public freedom of information requests, many ministries failed to respond adequately, with numerous requests ignored, delayed, or rejected, and legally mandated reports left unpublished.

The Ministry of Health was the most frequently cited violator, declared in breach of the Freedom of Information Law 45 times this year and 116 times over the past three years. It was followed by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety with 22 violations and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with 11. The report highlights that 82% of complaints involved failure to respond within the legally required timeframe. The IDF led in delayed responses, with 75% of replies taking over 120 days, followed by the Ministry of Communications (61.4%), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (34.8%), and Ministry of Environmental Protection (34%).

Regarding request rejections, the Ministry of Justice denied the highest percentage at 45.2%, followed by the Ministry of Labor (41.7%), the Courts Administration (39.5%), and the Israel Police (37.3%). Common reasons for denial included privacy concerns, inability to locate information, or claims that the information pertained to internal deliberations. Additionally, 30 ministries and subordinate units, comprising 35% of obligated bodies, failed to publish their 2024 annual reports as required by law. Several key agencies also neglected to publish quarterly financial engagement reports for 2025.

The judiciary saw 738 freedom of information petitions filed in 2025, with about 75% concerning non-response to requests. Courts ruled in favor of petitioners in 88% of cases, resulting in the state paying over 1.18 million shekels in legal costs, compared to roughly 56,000 shekels awarded to the state.

On a positive note, some bodies performed well: the Population and Immigration Authority approved 78.9% of requests, followed by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, the Governmental Water and Sewage Authority, and the Ministry of Economy and Industry. Quick responses within 14 days were notably provided by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Ministry of Education, National Security Council, and Ministry of Justice.

Shlomi Bilbaski, head of the Governmental Freedom of Information Unit, said the rise in requests reflects growing civic engagement and demand for transparency but stressed that ministries must "eradicate the harmful practice" of failing to respond to information requests as revealed by the report.