Israeli Attorney General Orders Police to Investigate Possible False Statements by Likud Members to Supreme Court

Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Isman instructed the police on Wednesday evening to investigate whether members of the Likud party submitted false affidavits to the Supreme Court. The inquiry follows conflicting statements regarding whether Knesset members were required to document their votes during the election for State Comptroller.

The investigation was prompted by discrepancies between affidavits submitted by Likud CEO David Sharan and several Likud MKs, who denied any directive to photograph their votes, and a supplementary affidavit from MK Sharren Haskel. Haskel claimed that during the repeated vote for State Comptroller, members of the New Hope faction were instructed to document their votes and that these photos were sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Attorney General Baharav-Miara ordered Haskel to provide an open testimony to clarify these contradictions. She is not currently a suspect; the testimony aims to verify her claims. Should Haskel confirm that MKs were ordered to photograph their votes and submit the images to Netanyahu, authorities will decide whether to open a criminal investigation for submitting false affidavits to the Supreme Court.

This probe relates to the Supreme Court's annulment of Michael Regev's election as State Comptroller, citing illegal voting procedures that compromised ballot secrecy due to vote documentation. The police will now determine if Likud MKs were indeed instructed to photograph their votes and if previous affidavits accurately reflect the events. No criminal investigation has been opened yet; the decision depends on Haskel's testimony and further evidence review.