Justice minister calls for ignoring High Court ruling that invalidated state comptroller election

Justice Minister Yariv Levin calls on the government to ignore the High Court of Justice ruling that invalidated the results of the state comptroller election last month and ordered the Knesset to redo the vote.

“There can be no indecision,” Levin tells the ultra-Orthodox Kol Barama radio station. “It’s not possible to hold a repeat election for the position of state comptroller.”

“Attorney Michael Rabello should simply take office; no one can stop him,” insists Levin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

The state comptroller election was declared invalid due to violations of the legal obligation to hold the election by secret ballot. Coalition MKs were reportedly ordered to film themselves voting, to ensure that they chose Rabello, Netanyahu’s personal lawyer, for what is meant to be the independent watchdog role, and at least six MKs filmed themselves doing so.

The court ruled that the Knesset must therefore hold a new election for the state comptroller position.

Levin’s call to ignore the High Court comes days after the government issued a resolution declaring it did not accept a ruling issued by the top court on the operations of Israel’s commercial broadcasting regulatory body.

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.