The State of Israel is entering an interim period without a sitting state comptroller, with Matanyahu Englman’s term ending on Sunday, while the appointment of the state comptroller-elect, attorney Michael Rabello, has been frozen after the High Court of Justice ruled that a repeat vote must be held in the Knesset following a breach of voting secrecy by MKs who documented their choices.
Until a new vote is held, one of the country’s central oversight institutions remains without a leader.
The High Court of Justice ordered on Thursday that a new Knesset election be held for the position of state comptroller.
On Wednesday, High Court justices issued an interim order in a petition against the appointment of the state comptroller, freezing his entry into the role until the ruling was issued.
The Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, ruled unanimously that in the second round of voting in the election for state comptroller, during which several MKs documented their vote with video recordings, a substantive flaw occurred regarding the secrecy of the ballot, requiring the vote to be invalidated and held again.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, Justice Dafna Barak Erez, Justice Gila Canfy Steinitz, and Justice Ruth Ronnen.
The decision stated: “In light of the necessary timetable given the end of the term of the serving state comptroller, and in order to allow sufficient time for a ruling in the proceeding, an interim order is hereby issued under which the entry of respondent 2 in the HCJ petition, attorney Michael Rabello, into the position of state comptroller will be frozen until a ruling is issued in the proceeding.”
Supreme Court decision sparks political storm
The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the process for electing the state comptroller and hold a repeat vote sparked an immediate political storm and reactions from both the coalition and the opposition.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana is weighing the matter and holding phone consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides on how to respond.
On June 3, 2026, the Knesset held elections for the position of state comptroller. After none of the candidates won the required majority in the first vote, another round of voting was held, at the end of which attorney Rabello was declared elected state comptroller, receiving 61 votes, compared with 57 for retired Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron.
