Knesset's election of Rabello as comptroller conducted unlawfully, retired justice tells high court

Retired Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron has formally informed Israel's High Court of Justice that the Knesset's election of attorney Michael Rabello as state comptroller was conducted unlawfully. Elron's statement aligns with the core arguments presented in petitions seeking to nullify the election result.

Elron, who was a candidate himself and lost to Rabello in the second round of voting, submitted his preliminary response to the court. He did not seek the position for himself but stated that he joined the petitioners' arguments regarding the "illegality of the second vote." He also supported the requested remedies, including canceling the election.

The election of Rabello, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal attorney, was marked by controversy. In the initial round, neither candidate secured the required 61 votes. A second round was interrupted when opposition members alleged that coalition lawmakers were instructed to document their votes, despite the election being by secret ballot. After the vote was restarted, Rabello secured 61 votes to Elron's 57.

This dispute centers on the integrity of the secret ballot, which petitioners argue is a crucial legal protection against political pressure. They contend that the alleged filming of votes transformed the process into a loyalty test. The role of state comptroller is particularly significant, as the office audits government and public bodies, and the next comptroller is expected to examine the institutional consequences of the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war.

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insofar as they relate to the illegality of the second vote