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‘Provocation’: Sa’ar clashes with fellow New Hope MK over comptroller vote probe
🇵🇸 Palestine /Elections & Politics

‘Provocation’: Sa’ar clashes with fellow New Hope MK over comptroller vote probe

From Times of Israel · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A New Hope MK testified to police that her party instructed lawmakers to record themselves voting for Prime Minister Netanyahu's preferred candidate for state comptroller.
  • The party chairman, Gideon Sa'ar, rejected the claims, calling them a "media provocation."
  • The High Court ruled the vote illegal due to violations of secret ballot rules, but a repeat election has not been held, leaving the position unfilled.

A member of the New Hope party has told police that her faction ordered lawmakers to film their ballots for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chosen candidate in the state comptroller election. MK Sharren Haskel testified that party whip Michel Buskila issued the instruction to record votes for Michael Rabello, a move intended to show allegiance to the premier.

Investigators are expected to gather testimony from other New Hope lawmakers who may have received similar directives. However, Minister Ze'ev Elkin has denied such instructions were given. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who leads New Hope, dismissed Haskel's claims in a court affidavit, labeling them "baseless" and a "media provocation."

The June election for state comptroller was contentious, with allegations that coalition members filmed their votes under instructions from senior Likud officials. The High Court of Justice found these actions violated the secret ballot requirement and ordered a new election. Justice Minister Yariv Levin urged the Knesset to disregard the ruling, and no new vote has occurred. Rabello, Netanyahu's former lawyer, has declined to assume the post amid the legal dispute.

not only baseless, they’re also irrelevant and are designed to generate a media provocation.

— Gideon Sa'arForeign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected claims that his party instructed lawmakers to record their votes in the state comptroller election.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Times of Israel in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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