The Disciplinary and Investigations Unit of the Court Administration convicted Ron Shechter, 54, of three charges, including conflict of interest, for helping to establish the Space Kingdom of Asgardia. He served in a senior consular position in the Prime Minister's Office from 2014 until his dismissal in 2021.
Read more:
The court found that Asgardia officials approached Shechter in light of his position and experience as a consular officer for immigration matters in Nativ, an administrative unit at the Prime Minister's Office operating throughout former Soviet Union countries to tighten ties between Jews and their families with the State of Israel and broaden their knowledge about Israeli achievements, culture and heritage.
One of Shechter's roles in Nativ was to advise and encourage Jews to move to Israel. Aside from not receiving the necessary permits, the court also found that he had received 58,000 euros in financial benefits from the Space Kingdom of Asgardia, which he did not report to his employers in Nativ.
The Asgardia project recruited Shechter to advise them on recruiting people from around the world willing to become citizens and live in the futuristic utopian space nation. A representative of the Civil Service Commission noted in the trial that "Shechter engaged in private work without his employer's permission, putting himself in a situation of institutional conflict of interest between his role in Nativ and his work in this sketchy project."
The Space Kingdom of Asgardia was established in 2016 by a Russian billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli to settle the moon. Asgardia already has hundreds of thousands of registered citizens, a government, a constitution, a parliament, a bank and even a national anthem. Ashurbeyli's dream with the team of scientists, engineers and legal experts is to establish a settlement on the moon with a population of 150 million people within 10 years.
In addition to his involvement in Asgardia, Shechter was convicted of additional charges: providing preferred consular assistance to two families with whom he had close personal ties while acting on their behalf. He took advantage of his position in the organization, pressuring other employees to do his bidding and compromising them. Shechter also took eight private trips abroad without reporting them to his superiors or the security department, disregarding security regulations.
The Civil Service Commission demanded Shechter receive a substantial penalty, including a severe reprimand, immediate dismissal without severance, a permanent ban from any position in the Nativ organization, and a 15-year ban from any civil service position. The court ruled to leave him in his position but disqualified him from consular, management and immigration positions in Nativ for two years. Also, the court gave Shechter a severe reprimand and demoted him by one rank for two years.
Shechter's attorney, Adv. Ilana Honigman said that her client's private work "was not done at the expense of Nativ, and the money he received was negligible compared to the private sector." She also said he did not "compromise Nativ during his work in Asgardia, nor did he disclose state secrets." Shechter was reportedly investigated by the police and Shin Bet but the case was closed. Honigman claimed that her client was being targeted after exposing corruption at Nativ and said Shechter is an asset to public service.
Schacter detailed his long history at Netiv and his involvement in saving Jews, including in the Russia-Ukraine war and previously in the Russia-Georgia war. "In my various roles, I have carried out many sensitive and secret missions. In the past 7 years, I have had to deal with very severe witch hunts, harassment, and hostility from people in the organization's management. This treatment has continuously hurt me. I ask to return to my work, which I see as a life mission."