Netanyahu Delays Supreme Court-Ordered Re-Vote for State Comptroller Amid Political Maneuvering

Three weeks after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the Knesset must hold a new vote for the State Comptroller, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana have yet to implement the decision. The initial vote on June 3 saw retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron receive 60 votes, while attorney Michael Regev, Netanyahu’s personal lawyer and coalition negotiator, received 57 votes. Since a 61-vote majority was required, a second round was called. However, the secret ballot was compromised when Likud MKs, including Hanoch Milwitsky and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, photographed their ballots, leading to the vote’s suspension.

After consultations, a second vote was held, with 61 MKs supporting Regev and 57 backing Elron. Following petitions, the Supreme Court ruled on July 2 that the vote must be repeated due to procedural flaws that could have affected the outcome. Despite this, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other Likud officials have urged ignoring the court’s ruling as part of a broader coalition effort to weaken the judiciary.

Regev refuses to assume the comptroller role without a valid vote, complicating the situation. Legal advisor to the Knesset, Shagit Afik, insists the re-vote should proceed promptly, even though the current Knesset is outgoing. Political considerations are delaying action: the coalition recently pushed through legislation favoring ultra-Orthodox parties, including laws on yeshiva students’ detention and kosher certification monopolies, in exchange for their support. Concerns within Likud about upcoming primaries and seat allocations have made some MKs hesitant to back Regev, fearing they may lose their positions.

Netanyahu has held discussions with coalition leaders and Regev to secure a majority, but no date for the re-vote has been set. Meanwhile, the State Comptroller’s office remains leaderless for over three weeks, leaving eight new whistleblower complaints unaddressed and without legal protection for those exposing corruption. Observers suggest Regev should publicly commit to resigning if the re-vote is not held soon, to uphold the court’s ruling and maintain public trust.