Netanyahu's Nominee for State Comptroller Withdraws Amid Controversy

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Michael Rabilo, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lawyer, withdrew his bid for State Comptroller, citing a weakened coalition majority and anticipated legal hurdles. The election process has been marred by controversy, including alleged violations of ballot secrecy and a Supreme Court intervention. Retired Judge Yosef Elron is now the leading candidate, with the Knesset set to elect a comptroller by November 10th.

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Michael Rabilo withdrew his candidacy for State Comptroller due to coalition's weakened Knesset majority.
Rabilo's nomination was central to a constitutional crisis involving alleged ballot secrecy violations.
The Supreme Court invalidated an earlier vote and ordered a repeat election for the comptroller position.
Retired Judge Yosef Elron is now the leading candidate for the comptroller role.
MK Sharan Haskel testified about being asked to show the Prime Minister her vote.

Michael Rabilo, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private lawyer, has withdrawn his candidacy for the position of State Comptroller. Rabilo cited a shift in the Knesset's power balance and an assessment that the Knesset's legal advisor would not permit new candidates in a repeat election as reasons for his decision. He believes his chances of being elected are now negligible due to the coalition losing its majority.

The coalition also prefers not to contest the candidacy of retired Judge Yosef Elron, who is seen as their preferred choice over an alternative candidate from the opposition bloc. Rabilo's nomination had been at the center of a constitutional crisis in recent months. In the first round of voting, Elron received 60 votes and Rabilo 57. A controversy erupted in the second round when Knesset members were photographed showing their ballots, violating the principle of secrecy. The Supreme Court invalidated the process and ordered a new election.

The coalition initially refused to accept the court's decision, but Rabilo himself stated he would not assume the role without proper procedure. The Supreme Court later ruled that Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana had violated a previous ruling regarding the election of the State Comptroller. Rabilo's associates claim he faced a "orchestrated campaign" due to his representation of Netanyahu, suggesting the Supreme Court dismissed petitions concerning conflicts of interest. They argued Rabilo would adhere to all conflict of interest regulations and that his work with the Prime Minister primarily involved constitutional and administrative matters, a small part of the Comptroller's duties.

The affair also gained attention following a sworn statement by Member of Knesset Sharan Haskel, who alleged she was asked to show the Prime Minister her vote for State Comptroller. Haskel was summoned to testify in the Lahav 433 investigation regarding this matter. The 26th Knesset is set to be sworn in on November 10th and will need to elect a comptroller. The apparent stance of Knesset Legal Advisor Shagit Afik is to proceed with only the second round of voting without new nominations, positioning Judge Elron as the sole candidate with a high probability of election. Rabilo declined to comment on the report.