Judges Question Whether Ravilo’s Appointment Should Be Voided Over Netanyahu Ties

Justices Ruth Ronen and Gila Kanfi-Steinitz pushed back against a petition seeking to cancel Michael Ravilo’s appointment because of his connections to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ronen said it was unclear why a conflict-of-interest arrangement could not simply bar Ravilo from handling certain matters, instead of disqualifying him from the entire role.

Ronen asked, “There will certainly be issues he will be prevented from dealing with, but why disqualify him from all matters and cancel the appointment for that reason?” Kanfi-Steinitz said it may be necessary to first examine the conflict-of-interest arrangement that will be set for Ravilo.

She told the petitioners that if their claim is that the conflict is so broad that Ravilo cannot perform the job at all, they may need to challenge the arrangement itself after it is established.