Israel’s High Court of Justice issued a dramatic ruling on Thursday in petitions challenging the selection of Michael Rabilo for the State Comptroller role. The justices rejected the petitions, but at the same time decided to issue an order nisi against his appointment.
The court said the move was prompted by a breach of ballot secrecy in the selection process. In its decision, the court also recommended that the Knesset hold fresh elections for State Comptroller, this time by agreement and without violating the principle of secrecy.
The ruling is seen as a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose camp had backed the appointment. The next step now is for the Knesset to consider whether to repeat the vote under the court’s conditions.