Israeli Ministers Reject Supreme Court Ruling Freezing State Comptroller Appointment

The Israeli Supreme Court recently issued an interim order freezing the appointment of Michael Reavilo as State Comptroller pending a final ruling on petitions challenging his selection. The petitions, filed by opposition parties, Knesset members, the Bar Association, and civil society groups, argue that the appointment process was flawed due to breaches of voting secrecy and alleged conflicts of interest, as Reavilo is the Prime Minister's lawyer.

Following the court's decision, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen publicly called on government ministers to defy the Supreme Court ruling, stating on social media that he would not honor or implement the court's decisions. Cohen sharply criticized Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Amit, accusing him of undermining democracy and violating basic laws, and described the interference with the State Comptroller's work as "unforgivable."

Likewise, Knesset member Tali Gottlieb condemned the court's injunction as "bullying by the Supreme Court" and warned that enforcing the ruling could lead to Israel having no State Comptroller, leaving the public without an official oversight authority. She declared that the situation constitutes a constitutional crisis and urged fellow lawmakers to take decisive action.

The Supreme Court's concerns primarily focus on the voting procedure in the Knesset, where some members allegedly revealed their ballots, violating the secrecy principle enshrined in the Basic Law: State Comptroller. The court's interim order followed a conditional injunction issued about ten days earlier, requiring the government to justify why the appointment should not be annulled.

The controversy has sparked heated debate within the coalition, with some ministers openly advocating non-compliance with the court's ruling. The legal and political dispute centers on the balance between judicial oversight and parliamentary authority in appointing key state officials.