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🇮🇱 Israel /Elections & Politics

Yesh Atid petitions High Court against 'corrupt' state comptroller vote

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Yesh Atid filed a petition to the High Court of Justice against the election of Prime Minister Netanyahu's attorney, Michael Rabello, as state comptroller.
  • The party argues the election was conducted corruptly, with coalition lawmakers allegedly pressured to film their secret ballots.
  • The High Court will hear the petitions by June 23, with the election process requiring a secret ballot by law.

The Yesh Atid faction has petitioned the High Court of Justice against a controversial Knesset vote that elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal attorney, Michael Rabello, as the new state comptroller. Yesh Atid argues the election process was fundamentally corrupt.

Coalition lawmakers were reportedly pressured by Netanyahu’s Likud party to film themselves casting their ballots during the second round of voting, a move that violates the law requiring a secret ballot. The High Court has stated it will hear the petitions seeking to annul the vote by June 23.

The second round of voting was conducted in a fundamentally corrupt manner. During the process, heavy pressure was exerted on coalition lawmakers to photograph themselves behind the voting booth in order to prove their loyalty to the prime minister, in blatant disregard of the Knesset Legal Adviser's instructions

— Yesh Atid petitionDescribing the alleged corruption in the state comptroller election

"The second round of voting was conducted in a fundamentally corrupt manner," the Yesh Atid petition stated. "During the process, heavy pressure was exerted on coalition lawmakers to photograph themselves behind the voting booth in order to prove their loyalty to the prime minister, in blatant disregard of the Knesset Legal Adviser's instructions." The petition also alleges that Netanyahu used a 45-minute halt in voting to exert additional pressure on lawmakers.

The second round of voting was halted after concerns arose about the integrity of the process, with coalition MKs accused of filming their votes. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana ruled that lawmakers could decide whether to film themselves, stating that any instruction to film inside the ballot box was illegal. Footage later emerged of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi filming himself casting his ballot for Rabello, and MK Hanoch Milwidsky taking a selfie with his ballot showing Netanyahu’s attorney’s name. The State Comptroller's Office oversees the country's public administration and has broad access to documents and information.

any instruction from anyone to film inside the ballot box is illegal and not valid

— Amir OhanaKnesset Speaker's statement on filming ballots
DistantNews Editorial

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

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