MK Sharren Haskel Claims New Hope Members Were Forced to Film Votes for State Comptroller Selection

MK Sharren Haskel submitted a sworn affidavit to Israel's Supreme Court alleging that members of the New Hope party were required to record their votes on video during the repeated voting round for the State Comptroller election. According to Haskel, these recordings had to be presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This claim contradicts previous denials from Likud CEO David Sharon and several Likud MKs, who stated there was no such requirement. Haskel's affidavit was filed as part of her petition to split from the National Right faction, following her resignation as Deputy Foreign Minister.

The video documentation demand reportedly occurred during the repeated voting session for the State Comptroller, a key oversight position in Israel. Journalist Avishai Greenzeit of i24NEWS first reported the affidavit's details. Haskel's claim challenges the official narrative from Likud representatives who had denied any coercion or monitoring of votes.

Last week, Haskel sent a sharp letter to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, accusing him of lying to her and the Israeli public, and announcing her resignation from her deputy minister role. Her resignation followed the approval of a law granting immunity from arrest to deserters, a controversial move in Israeli politics. The Supreme Court petition seeks to allow her to formally separate from the National Right faction amid these tensions.