Israeli Parliament Legal Advisor Urges Compliance With Supreme Court Ruling on State Comptroller Election

The legal advisor to the Knesset, Attorney Sagit Afik, has instructed that the Knesset must comply with the Supreme Court's ruling and hold new elections for the State Comptroller within two weeks. Afik's legal opinion, sent to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, states there is no legal barrier to holding the election even after the Knesset has been dissolved. This follows the court's invalidation of the previous vote that elected Attorney Michael Regev to the position, necessitating a prompt repeat election.

Afik emphasized that the Knesset must convene a session for the election even during recess, citing the importance of filling the State Comptroller role and the full authority of the outgoing Knesset to conduct the vote under Basic Law: The Knesset. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and coalition chairman Ofir Katz have publicly opposed holding new elections, insisting Regev should assume office immediately despite the court ruling.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Speaker Ohana have consulted on the issue, with Netanyahu reportedly favoring holding the election again before the Likud primaries to secure party support. The coalition, reluctant to implement the court's decision, plans to argue that the move is at Regev's insistence, as he refuses to take office contrary to the judges' decision.

The absence of a State Comptroller has raised concerns about the protection of whistleblowers and the enforcement of anti-corruption measures. The State Comptroller's office confirmed that without an incumbent, legal protections for whistleblowers cannot be granted. In response, Knesset State Audit Committee Chair Alon Schuster (Blue and White) urged Speaker Ohana to schedule the election next week, warning that failure to do so would leave whistleblowers unprotected and impair the institution's functioning. Schuster stressed the urgency given the public's trust in government institutions is at stake.