Retired Justice Alron joins petition to void Knesset vote for state comptroller

Retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron joined petitioners on Monday in asking the High Court of Justice to cancel the Knesset vote that elected the state comptroller and to freeze the winner’s entry into office. The request targets attorney Michael Ravilo, who had served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal lawyer. Ravilo was chosen in a secret ballot in the Knesset plenum about a week and a half ago.

In the first round, Elron led with support from 60 lawmakers compared with 57 for Ravilo. Because neither candidate reached the required 61 votes, a second round was held. The result reversed the order: Ravilo won with 61 votes and was declared elected, while Elron received 57.

During the second round, opposition lawmakers alleged that Likud MKs were instructed to take selfies with their ballots behind the curtain to prove loyalty, undermining the secrecy of the vote. Several MKs later published photos showing a ballot with Ravilo’s name, but said no one forced them to document their choice and that they did so on their own initiative.

The petitions against Ravilo’s appointment were filed by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and several opposition parties. They argue that the election process was tainted and that the Knesset vote violated the principle of secret balloting.