Attorney Michael Rabello at a hearing on the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem, April 15, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Knesset’s legal adviser Sagit Afik issues an opinion rejecting a call for a new vote to be held in parliament for the post of state comptroller, after issues arose over Likud members taking pictures of ballots they cast for Wednesday’s eventual winner Michael Rabello.
Afik says in the published opinion that Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s decision to hold a second vote while reminding MKs that the ballot was supposed to be secret, but not banning phones in the voting booth, was not illegal, even if it did not follow her recommendation to ban phones and continue the original vote.
Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik at a House committee meeting at the Knesset, December 1, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
She notes that Ohana’s decision appeared to be the result of a compromise between the coalition and opposition, which has legal weight.
“When the decision was presented to MKs upon his return from consultations in his office, from the plenum’s appearance, it seemed that it was acceptable to MKs from the opposition as well, who were in the plenum (and also the appeals to me from MKs stopped at that point),” she writes.
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