Netanyahu Decides to Leave State Comptroller Position Vacant Amid Legal Dispute

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to leave the State Comptroller position unfilled, according to a report by Kan News on Thursday evening. This follows a Supreme Court ruling that ordered a rerun of the election for the role due to breaches of voting secrecy by coalition members. However, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana refuses to hold new elections as mandated by the court, and coalition leaders have declared they will not comply with the ruling.

Attorney Michael Regev, who was initially elected to the position, announced he will not assume the role contrary to the court's decision. Coalition leaders indicated the issue will be discussed further, but Netanyahu's circle currently states there will be no State Comptroller for the time being, meaning no audit reports will be published.

The controversy arose after Likud Knesset members recorded themselves voting for Regev, which the Supreme Court ruled compromised the vote's confidentiality, necessitating a new election. MK Sharren Haskel submitted an affidavit to the court revealing that during the rerun vote, members of the New Hope party were asked to document their votes and show the recordings to Netanyahu.

Following the court's unanimous decision by a five-justice panel, Netanyahu's team engaged in talks with Regev and Ohana about their options. While Netanyahu's camp wants to avoid a constitutional crisis, they also resist fully complying with the court ruling. Likud members believe it will be difficult to secure the necessary majority in a rerun election.