Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointee to head up efforts to rescue the hostages will receive a yearly salary of up to NIS 500,000 shekels, but will not be a state employee or be able to direct state employees due to his pending indictment, according to a KAN news report on Thursday.
Hirsch was appointed early into the war by Netanyahu to head up the effort to find the hostages taken by Hamas.
His appointment has been fraught with controversy with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara objecting to his employment as a civil servant due to his pending indictment for embezzlement, according to Israeli media.
This meant the government was required to hire Hirsch as an external consultant, putting strong limitations on his abilities.
Hirsch is forbidden to set policy, he must only advise policymakers on policy implementation, neither can he manage civil servants nor give them instructions.
Due to these legal complications, Hirsch has not received a salary for the four months of employment he has already completed.
Hirsch’s indictment case
Hirsch is currently under indictment for embezzlement in a case connected to consultations for the Georgian Defense Ministry. He and his co-defendants, Oded Shechnai and Michael Binyamini, were accused of embezzling millions from his consulting company during its operations in Georgia.
The company advised the Georgian Defense Ministry on security and military training as well as mediating the sale of military equipment.
Hirsch denies this and said in response in 2021, “My hands are clean.”
