Bennett Calls for New State Comptroller Vote After High Court Ruling

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett reacted on Wednesday to the High Court of Justice decision in petitions over the election of Michael Ravillo as state comptroller, saying the Knesset should hold a repeat vote. Bennett wrote on social media that Benjamin Netanyahu “understands that this appointment process is rotten to the core,” but is no longer able to appoint a state comptroller through a proper procedure.

He said a lawful process could still end with the selection of a comptroller “who will be loyal to the state and not to Netanyahu himself,” and added, “The Knesset must accept the High Court’s recommendations and declare new elections.” Bennett concluded, “Israel needs deep and fundamental repair. Together we will fix it!”

The justices issued an order nisi against Ravillo’s election because the vote’s secrecy was violated, and they recommended that the Knesset, by agreement, hold another election for the post, this time without breaching the secrecy principle. In their remarks, the judges said they intended to issue the order on the secrecy issue, but not yet on the conflict of interest issue.

They described an “unwelcome cloud” and “bitter taste,” saying some of the votes were problematic and that Knesset members acted against the attorney general’s guidance regarding filming. The court said it was offering a procedural remedy, asking for the process to be done again in a clean and proper way, and set Sunday as the deadline for responses.