The director general of Israel's Finance Ministry, Shlomi Heisler, will step down following the 2025 state budget next month after two years in the post, citing "urgent personal reasons", the ministry said on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich appointed Heisler, an attorney, as the Treasury's most senior civil servant in January 2023. A successor has not yet been named.
Heisler, who had medical issues a few months ago but recovered to start working on the 2025 budget, said the past two years has been among the most challenging in Israel's history, especially after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas, Reuters reported.
"After two years, after the intense fighting in the war has ended, residents can return to their homes in the north and south, and after the budget ... passes the Knesset (parliament), due to personal circumstances, I asked the Finance Minister to end my position," Heisler said in a statement.
"I have worked with the Finance Minister hand in hand and I am very sorry to be forced to end my role now," he added.
Israeli media reported that Heisler had opposed a number of Smotrich's policies.
Due to the need to boost spending during the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel fought Hezbollah that has since turned into a ceasefire, Heisler was responsible for formulating five budgets.
After long delays, the Knesset this month narrowly approved the 2025 budget in its first of three votes needed to become law. The budget is now being examined by parliamentary committees and final passage is expected next month.
Failure to approve the budget by March 31 would trigger new elections.
Smotrich called Heisler a first rate professional, saying he "passed five budgets and masterminded all the ministry's departments".
The ministry is also set to lose legal adviser Asi Messing after eight years in the job and Smotrich has declined to renew the term of ministry spokeswoman Lilach Weissman, who has served for nine years.
