New Hope MKs ordered to film comptroller vote for Netanyahu, Sharren Haskel claims

Member of Knesset Sharren Haskel has alleged in a sworn affidavit that lawmakers from the New Hope-United Right faction were instructed to film themselves voting for Michael Rabello in his bid for state comptroller. Haskel claims this footage was to be presented to Prime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as evidence of their vote.

This assertion directly contradicts the position presented by the Likud party during the legal challenges to Rabello's election. However, Haskel's affidavit was not submitted as part of those proceedings.

The High Court of Justice invalidated Rabello's election and ordered a new vote more than two weeks before Haskel signed her affidavit. The court's decision was based on the fundamental violation of election secrecy caused by the filming of ballots. Haskel's account was therefore not considered by the justices who ruled on the Rabello petitions.

Previously, Haskel had publicly stated in June that coalition lawmakers were required to photograph their ballots behind the voting curtain. She suggested the matter warranted court examination at the time. However, she did not submit the affidavit containing the specific allegation about Netanyahu to the court deciding the Rabello case, and the affidavit does not reopen the election cancellation case that concluded on July 2.

In her affidavit, Haskel also stated that the New Hope faction had not developed an independent stance on the comptroller election and had not held a faction meeting to decide on a candidate. She asserted that Rabello was presented as the Likud candidate whom New Hope members were obligated to support without reservation or the ability to express an independent position. She wrote that during a repeat round of voting, New Hope faction members were required to document their votes by filming themselves and present this documentation to Netanyahu as proof of their vote. The affidavit does not specify who issued this alleged instruction.

“

During the repeat round of voting, members of the New Hope faction were required to document their votes by filming themselves and to present the documentation to the prime minister, a member of the Likud faction, as evidence of how they voted.