Senior Israeli Official Threatens to Disrupt Secret Ballots After Supreme Court Ruling

Following the Israeli Supreme Court's unanimous decision to order a repeat vote for the State Comptroller election, a senior government official warned of potential disruptions to secret ballots if the ruling is enforced. The court found that the recording of votes by coalition Knesset members compromised ballot secrecy, necessitating the annulment and repetition of the vote. The official stated, "If we end up in the opposition, we intend to disrupt every secret ballot, including elections for the State Comptroller and the President, breaking secrecy and demanding the court invalidate the results as it did before." This warning comes amid concerns within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's circle, who have held discussions with the elected candidate Michael Regev and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana about possible responses. Netanyahu's team is wary of triggering a constitutional crisis but is also reluctant to fully comply with the court's ruling. After the decision, Likud members acknowledged the difficulty in securing the necessary majority in the repeat vote.