List of Israeli Public Officials Convicted of Crimes or Misdemeanors

Israeli public officials in this selection include a president, prime minister, cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, Knesset members, mayors and senior officials. The documented offenses include bribery, breach of trust, fraud, theft, election violations, perjury, sexual offenses, assault, drug smuggling, espionage and other conduct. The proceedings produced penalties ranging from prison terms to suspended imprisonment, fines and community service.[1]

This article is a sourced selection rather than a complete historical register. The Times of Israel describes its roundup of ten politicians as “non-comprehensive.”[2] Calcalist counts 37 senior politicians convicted since the state’s founding, whereas a separate mako article reports approximately 33; the sources do not reconcile their totals or establish identical inclusion criteria.[1][3]

The counting boundaries matter. Calcalist counts people rather than separate convictions and includes public figures whose offenses occurred before or after their service as well as those convicted while in office. Its investigation says 12 of the 37 offended before taking office, two after leaving office and 23 while serving in senior positions. It includes 20 Knesset members, 15 ministers or deputy ministers, one president and one prime minister.[6]

The cases are not equivalent in seriousness, legal classification or procedural history. Some sources describe only a conviction and sentence; others provide appellate outcomes, acquittals on particular charges or later rulings concerning public appointments. The entries therefore distinguish findings of guilt from allegations and original sentences from later changes.[4][5]

Corruption-related offenses are prominent in the reported cases. Calcalist counts 24 politicians convicted of corruption offenses, including 13 fraud offenses, nine bribery offenses and two breach-of-trust offenses. Its fraud grouping includes six forgery or perjury cases, four cases of obtaining something by fraud and three theft cases. For these totals, it counts only each person’s most serious offense and assigns repeat offenders to the decade of their more serious offense.[6]

The list also includes convictions concerning personal conduct, electoral processes, public administration and national security. Examples include sexual offenses, assault, driving offenses, drug smuggling, espionage, unlawful assembly, document offenses and improper transfers to security prisoners. These categories reflect the range of cases present in the sources, not a claim that the offenses are interchangeable.[1]

Some political figures were convicted of more than one offense or in more than one proceeding. Ehud Olmert’s record involves separate cases concerning breach of trust, bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice, with some charges dismissed or overturned and sentences changed on appeal.[4] Aryeh Deri’s bribery conviction and later tax case were separate proceedings.[7][5] Gonen Segev likewise had separate convictions involving financial and drug offenses and, years later, espionage.[1]

Moshe Katsav, who served as president from 2000 until his resignation in 2007, was convicted in December 2010 of rape, sexual harassment, an indecent act using force, harassment of a witness and obstruction of justice. The case involved three government employees. In March 2011, the court sentenced him to seven years in prison and two years’ probation and ordered compensation to two women; the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, and he began serving the sentence on December 7, 2011.[8][9]

Katsav protested the verdict and vowed to appeal. As the sentence was read, he shouted, “This is a victory of lies!”[10] The later rejection of his appeal was the final reported appellate outcome.[9] Stronger chronological accounts place the conviction in December 2010, although a mako roundup dates it to 2011.[8][3] Sources also express the compensation differently, including US$35,000 to two victims and NIS 125,000 divided between two women.[10][8]

Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and Jerusalem mayor, faced several separate proceedings. In the Investment Promotion Center affair, the Jerusalem District Court acquitted him in the Rishon Tours and Talansky affairs but convicted him of breach of trust in July 2012. Allegations in the Talansky affair had contributed to his forced resignation as prime minister.[11] Britannica reports that he received a suspended one-year sentence in September 2012.[12]

The most prominent later case was the Holyland real-estate affair, concerning construction projects from Olmert’s time as Jerusalem mayor. In 2014, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted him of accepting bribes and imposed a six-year prison term, a fine of NIS 1 million and seizure of NIS 500,000 in accumulated funds. The court convicted nine other defendants and acquitted three. Olmert maintained his innocence and announced an appeal. At sentencing, Judge Uri Rozen said bribery offenses “contaminate the public sector” and “cause the structure of government to collapse.”[13][14]

The Supreme Court later overturned one of Olmert’s two Holyland bribery convictions, upheld the other and reduced the prison term to 18 months.[15] The Jewish Virtual Library reports that he was released in 2017 after serving 16 months. Its page also says he began serving a 27-month sentence, while a cited source title on the same page refers to a 19-month sentence; those figures reflect different combinations or descriptions of his sentences rather than one unchanged term.[4]

In the separate Talansky “cash envelopes” case, Olmert was convicted in 2015 of fraud and breach of trust. The proceedings concerned cash provided by businessman Morris Talansky from 1992 to 2005; Talansky testified that he had provided more than US$150,000 in cash and more than US$600,000 overall. Olmert received an eight-month prison sentence and a fine.[4] A further conviction for obstruction of justice followed in 2016, relating to efforts to persuade his former secretary Shula Zaken not to testify or make a deal in the Holyland trial.[4]

An Encyclopedia.com entry states that Olmert had never been convicted of a crime.[16] That assertion conflicts with the court outcomes documented in the sources above, including the breach-of-trust, bribery, fraud and obstruction convictions.[4]

Aryeh Deri, a Shas leader and former interior minister, was convicted of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with his time in office. One reference dates the conviction to 1999, while another describes the sentence imposed in 2000; the latter reports a three-year term and says Deri served 22 months before his 2002 release. The Washington Institute, writing before the appellate reduction, characterized the case as an “eight-year legal marathon” ending in a four-year sentence.[7][17]

Deri later faced a separate tax case. In January 2022, a court approved a plea agreement and imposed a 12-month suspended sentence and a fine for tax offenses connected to real-estate transactions. He had resigned from the Knesset before conviction, and the plea arrangement provided that the attorney general would not argue that the offenses involved moral turpitude. The tax case should not be conflated with his earlier bribery conviction or with suspicions that did not produce convictions in the later proceeding.[5]

In January 2023, the High Court of Justice ruled 10–1 that Deri’s appointment as interior and health minister was unlawful and ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss him. The majority considered his conviction record and his conduct surrounding the 2022 plea agreement. This was a ruling on his appointment, not a new criminal conviction.[5]

Abraham Hirchson, a former finance minister, was convicted of larceny, executive theft, fraud, breach of trust, illicitly obtaining funds, money laundering and falsifying corporate documents. The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced him in June 2009 to five years and five months in prison, and he began an appeal that September.[18] The State Department reports NIS 1.8 million stolen from the National Labor Federation, while N12 reports that the court found NIS 1.83 million.[18][19] Calcalist lists NIS 4 million, whereas a mako account frames NIS 4 million as the accusation and says NIS 2.5 million was taken for Hirchson himself.[1][3]

Shlomo Benizri, who served as a Knesset member and health and social affairs minister, was convicted in 2008 of bribery, breach of trust, obstruction of justice and conspiracy in connection with conduct between 1996 and 2001. The case involved benefits from contractor Moshe Sela in exchange for inside information about foreign workers expected to arrive in Israel. Benizri was initially sentenced to 18 months and fined NIS 80,000; after a government appeal, the High Court increased the term to four years and the fine to NIS 250,000. He began serving the longer sentence in September 2009.[20][18]

Haim Katz, a former labor minister, received six months’ suspended imprisonment and a NIS 75,000 fine in 2022 after a court accepted a plea agreement for conspiring to achieve a legitimate target by illegitimate means. The report specifically notes that the court ruled his actions did not constitute corruption. Yaakov Litzman, a former health minister, received eight months’ suspended imprisonment and a NIS 3,000 fine in 2022 after a breach-of-trust conviction concerning efforts to prevent the extradition to Australia of Malka Leifer, who was accused of pedophilia.[21]

Tzachi Hanegbi, a Knesset member and former minister, was tried on allegations including election bribery, fraud and breach of trust relating to political appointments. In July 2010, he was cleared of those charges but convicted of perjury and fined NIS 10,000. The judges treated the perjury as involving moral turpitude, requiring him to leave the Knesset.[22][23] He also voluntarily suspended himself from the Knesset.[22]

Other senior officials in the Calcalist roster include Salah Tarif, convicted in 2003 of bribery, fraud and breach of trust; Stas Misezhnikov, convicted in 2017 of fraud and breach of trust; and chief rabbi Yona Metzger, convicted of accepting a NIS 10 million bribe and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.[1] N12 reports that Misezhnikov pleaded guilty over a conflict of interest involving ministry support for a student festival and a recommendation to employ a woman with whom he had a close relationship; he received 15 months in prison and a NIS 70,000 fine.[19]

Naomi Blumenthal, a former Likud Knesset member and deputy minister, was sentenced in March 2006 to eight months in prison for bribery and obstructing legal proceedings during Likud primaries.[24] The case concerned hosting party activists and central committee members at a hotel in Ramat Gan. She was also fined NIS 75,000, and President Shimon Peres later commuted the prison sentence to community service.[25]

Omri Sharon, a Likud Knesset member from 2003 to 2006 and son of former prime minister Ariel Sharon, was convicted in 2005 of corruption and fraud relating to campaign financing for his father’s 1999 Likud primary campaign. He began a seven-month sentence in February 2008 and was released after five months for good behavior.[26][27]

Former justice minister Haim Ramon was convicted in January 2007 of committing an indecent act by forcibly kissing a female soldier. He resigned from the Knesset and was ordered to perform community service.[28] N12 reports a penalty of 120 hours of community service and NIS 15,000 compensation, and says the judges found that the incident did not involve moral turpitude.[19] Ramon later returned to Olmert’s Cabinet.[28]

Yitzhak Mordechai, a former defense minister, transport minister and deputy prime minister, was convicted in March 2001 of sexually assaulting and harassing two women and received an 18-month suspended sentence.[29] N12 reports that he was acquitted of an offense alleged by a third woman.[19]

Shlomo Benizri and Aryeh Deri, discussed above among ministers, also appear in a Times of Israel roundup of politicians sentenced to prison. Its ten-person list includes them alongside Katsav, Hirchson, Sharon, Ramon, Gonen Segev, Yair Levy, Blumenthal and Ofer Hugi. The roundup expressly describes the list as non-comprehensive.[2]

The roster of Knesset members reaches earlier decades. Calcalist lists Shlomo Lavi, convicted in 1954 after his driving caused a road worker’s death; Mordechai Sorkis, convicted in 1966 of reckless driving and causing an accident; Shmuel Rechtman, convicted in 1979 of bribery connected with his earlier role as Rehovot mayor and local planning-committee chair; and Shmuel Flatto-Sharon, convicted of election bribery in 1979. It also lists Yair Levy, convicted in 1992 of theft and related corporate offenses, and Shlomo Dayan, convicted in 1993 of fraud and document offenses.[1]

Other entries include Moshe Feiglin, convicted in 1995, 1997 and 2000 of offenses including unlawful assembly and sedition; Yossi Vanunu, convicted in 1997 of bribery, fraud and breach of trust; Salah Salim, convicted in 2000 of fraud and breach of trust; and Yaakov Katz, convicted in 2003 of perjury and unlawful broadcasting. The roster identifies Yechiel Hazan and Michael Gorlovsky among members convicted in connection with voting in another member’s name, as well as Ofer Hugi for fraud and document offenses, Yair Peretz for fraudulently obtaining a degree and Yosef Ba-Gad for forgery and attempted fraud.[1]

For later years, the roster includes Said Nafa, convicted in 2014 over travel to an enemy state and contact with a foreign agent; Mohammad Barakeh, convicted in 2014 of assault; Haneen Zoabi, convicted in 2016 of insulting a public servant; and Basel Ghattas, convicted in 2017 of fraud, breach of trust and offenses involving transfers to security prisoners.[1] Reports differ on Zoabi’s fine: Calcalist gives NIS 3,000, while a mako article reports NIS 300,000.[1][3]

The Holyland case also brought convictions against local-government figures. Former Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski was among those convicted. A reported account says that the bribe funds supported Yad Sarah, the charitable organization he founded, rather than enriching him personally, while the court said the money nevertheless increased his power and influence. His six-year sentence was commuted by the Supreme Court to six months of community service because of existing health complications.[30]

Former Bat Yam mayor Shlomo Lahiani was convicted on three counts of breach of trust. On appeal, the Tel Aviv District Court imposed an eight-month prison term, replacing an earlier plea-deal outcome of six months’ community service. Bribery charges in the original indictment had been dropped as part of the plea agreement; the court described the conflict of interest as severe and the breach of trust as bordering on graft.[31]

Former Ramat Gan mayor Zvi Bar was convicted of bribery and breach of trust over conduct between 2003 and 2008, including accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in connection with real-estate projects. The Supreme Court upheld the graft conviction but acquitted him of money laundering and tax evasion. It reduced his prison term from five and a half years to three years and reduced court-ordered compensation from NIS 1.5 million to NIS 800,000.[32]

The Calcalist roster also lists Shmuel Rechtman’s bribery conviction connected to his earlier municipal role in Rehovot. His case illustrates that a person’s office at the time of an offense may differ from the national office by which that person is later identified.[1]

Gonen Segev, a former energy and infrastructure minister, was convicted in separate cases of attempted fraud and credit-card fraud and, in 2005, of attempted drug importation, drug possession, aggravated document forgery and fraud. Calcalist reports that the drug case involved an attempt to smuggle 32,000 ecstasy tablets and resulted in five years’ imprisonment, a two-year suspended sentence and a US$27,000 fine.[1]

In 2019, Segev was convicted of espionage and passing information to an enemy and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Calcalist describes him as having acted as an agent of Iranian intelligence.[1]

Faina Kirshenbaum, a former Yisrael Beytenu member of the Knesset and deputy interior minister, was convicted of bribery, tax offenses, money laundering and breach of trust. A mako account reports that her original ten-year sentence was reduced by the Supreme Court to seven and a half years and that her fine was reduced to NIS 500,000.[3]

Former minister and Knesset member Aharon Abuhatzira faced multiple proceedings. A mako roundup reports convictions for fraud, breach of trust and theft, a three-month community-service sentence and his resignation from the government; it also mentions a 51-month suspended sentence in another case.[3] Calcalist lists a 1982 conviction for theft by a manager and breach of trust.[1]

Calcalist lists former Shas Knesset member and communications minister Rafael Pinhasi as convicted in 1997 of conspiracy to achieve an improper aim and making a false declaration, for which he received a one-year suspended sentence and a NIS 20,000 fine.[1] A mako account says the conduct involved failing to report payments made by Shas during an election campaign.[3]

Niso Guetta, an Israel National Police chief superintendent, was convicted in June 2022 of assaulting a protester and a photographer during 2020 demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The court sentenced him to five months’ probation in August. Although not a politician, he falls within the broader category of senior public officials covered by this article’s scope.[21]

A conviction’s consequences can change after the trial court’s decision. Benizri’s sentence and fine increased after a government appeal.[18] Olmert’s Holyland sentence was reduced and one bribery conviction overturned.[15] Bar’s prison term and compensation were reduced while his graft conviction was upheld and other charges ended in acquittal.[32] Lupolianski’s custodial sentence was replaced by community service because of health complications.[30] Blumenthal’s sentence was commuted to community service.[25]

Public office may also be affected independently of the punishment imposed. Hanegbi’s perjury finding was treated as involving moral turpitude and required him to leave the Knesset.[23] Deri resigned from the Knesset before his later tax conviction, and the plea arrangement specified that the attorney general would not argue moral turpitude. The High Court’s subsequent decision concerning his ministerial appointment was a distinct public-law ruling, not a criminal verdict.[5]

Some reported offenses predate public service, making inclusion dependent on the definition of “public official convicted.” A Congressional Research Service report states that Itamar Ben-Gvir was convicted in 2007 of incitement to racism and supporting terrorism, before his later public office, but supplies no further details about the court, sentence, appeal or current status.[33] A 2023 commentary article says he had been convicted of eight charges, including supporting terrorist organizations, but does not identify the remaining charges or provide court dates and sentences.[34]

The selection also includes convictions for which the available reports provide limited detail. For example, Calcalist lists Israel Katz as convicted in 1990 of driving while disqualified and Michael Dekel as convicted in 1993 of bribery-related offenses. The source material does not establish a fuller account of their proceedings or penalties.[1]

The reported cases span several decades and levels of government. Calcalist says 32 of the 37 senior politicians in its count were convicted from the 1990s onward, while five were convicted earlier.[6] Its roster ranges from mid-century driving offenses and 1970s election or bribery cases to later convictions involving financial crimes, sexual offenses, espionage and conduct within the Knesset or ministries.[1]

The available material does not support treating the list as exhaustive. Calcalist reports 37 senior politicians, while a mako article estimates approximately 33, and the sources do not establish identical inclusion criteria.[1][3] The Times of Israel separately calls its ten-person roundup non-comprehensive.[2]

The sources also differ on individual details. The State Department and N12 report Hirchson’s proven theft amount as NIS 1.8 million and NIS 1.83 million respectively.[18][19] Calcalist and mako use NIS 4 million in different ways, with the latter describing it as the accusation and reporting NIS 2.5 million taken for Hirchson himself.[1][3] Katsav’s compensation is expressed as US$35,000 in one account and NIS 125,000 in another.[10][8] Accounts of Olmert’s imprisonment describe different procedural stages and combinations of sentences.[15][4] Zoabi’s reported fine differs between NIS 3,000 and NIS 300,000.[1][3]

A conviction list should not convert allegations into findings or imply that every charge in an indictment resulted in conviction. Hanegbi was acquitted of bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges but convicted of perjury.[22] Olmert was acquitted of central charges in one proceeding and convicted of breach of trust, while one Holyland bribery conviction was later overturned.[11][15] Bar was acquitted of money laundering and tax evasion on appeal while his graft conviction was upheld.[32]

The records thus present both the range of criminal cases involving Israeli public figures and the legal distinctions necessary to describe them accurately. Sentences, appeals, acquittals and public-office consequences belong to individual case histories; none alone supplies an exhaustive measure of the entire phenomenon.[1][6]