Senior Knesset Official Fired for Ordering Services from Family-Owned Tech Company

The State Service Commission's Disciplinary Court ordered the dismissal of senior Knesset official Shay Barkovitz last week. Barkovitz admitted and was convicted in a plea deal of repeatedly ordering technological services worth 15,000 shekels from a family-owned company initially owned by his daughter and later by his wife. He failed to inform his superiors about the ownership change and did not consult the relevant office regarding the conflict of interest. In addition to dismissal, Barkovitz received a four-year ban from working in the Knesset, a two-year ban from public service, and a severe reprimand.

Barkovitz, a senior head of administrative systems responsible for ensuring smooth, secure digital operations behind the scenes at the Knesset, faced penalties significantly harsher than those in the original plea deal with the prosecution. That deal included no dismissal, only a one-year ban from managerial roles, a half-month salary forfeiture, a one-step demotion for six months, and a severe reprimand. The court rejected the plea deal, stating it was an inadequate administrative response and a serious normative breach that undermined public trust.

The ruling emphasized that allowing Barkovitz to remain in his sensitive role despite breaching public trust was unacceptable. The court described its decision as a necessary correction of a serious normative and functional error, balancing between unacceptable retention and dismissal with public service exclusion.

Barkovitz, through attorney Ayala Honigman, filed an appeal and a request to delay the execution of the disciplinary ruling at the Jerusalem District Court. The appeal argues that the disciplinary measures are excessively severe and far exceed the agreed-upon plea deal penalties, particularly criticizing the dismissal as disproportionate to the offenses committed.