Corruption in Israel worsened during 2004, according to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. Shvil, the Israeli representative of Transparency International, is based at Tel University's Faculty of Management, released the report today.
Published today to mark UN Anti-Corruption Day, the 2004 Corruption Perceptions Index for Israel found that political parties are perceived as the country's most corrupt institutions. Political parties received the dubious honor as the most corrupt of 15 bodies, with a score of 4.3, on a scale of 1 (honest) to 5 (corrupt).
The Knesset was ranked as Israel's second most corrupt institutions, with a score of 4.1; followed by religious institutions - 3.8; income tax 3.3; and the public service and NGOs - 3.2 each. They were followed by business, the private sector, customs, communications, health services, the Motor Vehicles Bureau, Israel Police, the education system, and the judicial system. The most honest institution was the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), with a score of 2.3.
The Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index survey was carried out over summer in 64 countries worldwide, including Israel. Over 500 citizens over the age of 18 in each country were interviewed in assessing the public's perception of corruption in their countries.
The survey found that 88% of Israel's public believes that corruption was unchanged or increased, compared with 85% worldwide. The survey also found that the Israeli public is more worried by corruption than by poverty, the environment, corruption in private life, and inflation. However, it is less worried by corruption than by terrorism, violence and unemployment.
Shvil director Adv. Prof. Joseph Gross said the effect of corruption in developed countries was very low. By contrast, in Israel four out of ten people say corruption has a significant and daily impact on their lives.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 9, 2004