Justice Minister Levin tells gov't to disobey High Court ruling for a state comptroller revote

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has called on the government to defy a High Court of Justice ruling that mandated a new Knesset vote for the appointment of Michael Rabello as state comptroller. Levin asserted that Rabello should assume the position and that the High Court's decision, which cited a fundamental defect in the election process, should be ignored.

Levin stated that there should be no consideration of holding new elections, expressing confidence that the entire coalition shares this stance. His remarks follow the High Court's unanimous decision last Thursday to invalidate Rabello's election due to a "fundamental defect" in the secrecy of the ballot, requiring new elections.

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Attorney Rabello should assume the position.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has not yet indicated how he will respond to the High Court's ruling, particularly after previously rejecting a proposal to redo the elections. The country has been without a sitting state comptroller since Sunday, as the revote decision came just before Rabello was scheduled to begin his term.

The High Court's ruling emphasized that the secret ballot process for electing the state comptroller must be maintained to ensure the vote's integrity and prevent political pressure. During the June vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party reportedly instructed lawmakers to document their votes for Rabello, Netanyahu's personal attorney, to exert pressure. Rabello was elected after a disputed two-round vote where opposition lawmakers alleged coalition members were pressured to photograph their ballots, violating the secret ballot requirement.

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There should not even be any consideration for the possibility of holding new elections. I think there is no one from the entire coalition who holds a different stance [on the matter].