Haifa District Attorney Receives Over 1.1 Million Shekels Retirement Settlement After Leaving Post

Ayala Pails-Sharon, the Haifa District Attorney, is set to retire from the Ministry of Justice and will receive a retirement grant exceeding 1.1 million shekels. This arrangement was reported by legal affairs commentator Avishai Greenstein on i24NEWS and was reached through a labor court proceeding following a lawsuit filed by Pails-Sharon. She demanded a bridging pension, a budgetary pension, and other payments estimated in the millions of shekels.

Pails-Sharon was appointed to the Haifa District Attorney position for a fixed term of eight years, during which she earned over 70,000 shekels monthly. After her term ended, she sought to continue receiving her salary conditions either by remaining in her current role or transferring to another position. However, the Ministry of Justice clarified that she could not continue as district attorney beyond the predetermined term.

The dispute led to a labor court case, culminating in a settlement that was formalized as a judicial decision. Under the agreement, Pails-Sharon will receive compensation equivalent to 15.5 months' salary, totaling more than 1.1 million shekels. The settlement also includes additional terms. Pails-Sharon claimed the Ministry of Justice had failed for years to regulate retirement terms for district attorneys insured under a cumulative pension plan and argued that suitable positions matching her skills were not offered, though she did not apply for other open positions during that period.

Her legal representatives, attorneys Arna Lin and Neta Shapira, stated that the state neglected to arrange retirement terms for district attorneys with cumulative pensions upon completing their terms, unlike those with budgetary pensions or other senior fixed-term government officials. They added that the temporary retirement arrangement for the Haifa District Attorney was proposed by the Ministry of Justice, the Civil Service Commission, and the salary supervisor, and was ratified by a judicial ruling.