Israel's Supreme Court Rules Knesset Speaker Violated Order in State Comptroller Election

Israel's Supreme Court (Bagatz) has dismissed a petition seeking to compel Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to set a date for a repeat vote to elect the State Comptroller. However, the court ruled that Ohana had violated a previous court order on the matter and fined him 10,000 shekels in legal costs.

The controversy began after the initial election for State Comptroller held in the Knesset on June 13, 2024. In the first round, retired judge Yosef Elron received 60 votes, while attorney Michael Ravilo, the candidate backed by Netanyahu, received 57. Ravilo was declared the winner of the second round with 61 votes to Elron's 57.

The vote sparked controversy when Knesset members were allowed to photograph their ballots, a move permitted by Speaker Ohana. Following a petition, the Supreme Court ruled on July 12, 2024, that the principle of ballot secrecy had been violated, canceling the second round's results and ordering a new vote.

Ohana did not set a date for the repeat vote, arguing that the authority to set the date rested with him and that the process could be completed in the next Knesset session. This delay led to another petition demanding that he comply with the court's ruling and schedule a new election date.

In its latest decision, the Supreme Court rejected the petition to force Ohana to set a date but found him in violation of its prior ruling that he was obligated to schedule a new vote. The legal proceedings have concluded for now, leaving the election of the State Comptroller unresolved.