High Court Grills Knesset Over Tainted Comptroller Vote; MK Gotliv Ejected From Courtroom

An expanded five-justice panel of the High Court questioned the Knesset on June 28 over Michael Rabello's election as State Comptroller, after Likud lawmakers were photographed documenting their ballots in the second round, which flipped a 57-60 loss into a 61-vote win. Justice Sohlberg said common sense dictates that voting itself must remain secret, and the panel issued a conditional order asking why the result should not be annulled. Speaker Amir Ohana rebuffed the court's proposal for a fresh vote, while Likud MK Tally Gotliv was removed from the courtroom by security after repeated outbursts. Defenders of the process, including the Knesset Legal Adviser, said no evidence shows members were instructed to film ballots, and Rabello cited Basic Law safeguards protecting comptroller independence.