Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has declined a High Court of Justice proposal to hold a repeat election for the state comptroller position, according to a notice filed on behalf of the Knesset on Sunday. The court had suggested the rerun as a possible solution to petitions challenging attorney Michael Rabello’s June 3 election to replace current State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman.

The proposal, presented at a hearing last Thursday, was relayed to Ohana, who decided against repeating the vote, referencing arguments made in the Knesset’s prior response and during the hearing. “The Knesset has already had its say,” Ohana wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). His decision returned the matter to a High Court panel composed of Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg and Justices Gila Canfy-Sneititz and Ruth Ronen.

The petitions contest Rabello’s election, citing alleged breaches of the legally required secret ballot. Rabello, a longtime legal adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defeated retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron in a second round of voting, securing 61 votes to Elron’s 57. In the first round, both candidates fell short of the 61-vote threshold needed for election, with Elron receiving 60 and Rabello 57 votes. Controversy arose when several coalition members of the Knesset (MKs) were observed photographing or filming their ballots, raising concerns about the secrecy of the vote.

Petitioners argue that this practice created political pressure by requiring MKs to publicly confirm their voting choices, thereby violating the ballot’s secrecy. The Knesset and Likud representatives have denied that any directive was given to document ballots and questioned the evidence presented by the petitioners. During the hearing, the court focused heavily on whether such recordings were compatible with the secrecy mandated by Basic Law: The State Comptroller.

Deputy Supreme Court President Sohlberg described the process as tainted by an “undesirable cloud” and a “bitter taste,” characterizing some ballots as problematic. The court had indicated that if the rerun proposal was rejected, it would issue a conditional order requiring explanations as to why the election should not be annulled. This order would not automatically invalidate the vote but would open the door to further judicial review.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, one of the petitioners, criticized Ohana’s refusal to hold a new vote, asserting that the court had offered the “simplest and cleanest” solution—a repeat election without cameras or coercion. The group maintained that a state comptroller must be chosen through a process that strictly adheres to ballot secrecy principles.

Labor MK Gilad Kariv also condemned Ohana’s decision, arguing that the Speaker’s notice did not reflect the Knesset’s collective will and contravened the legal advisor’s recommendations. Kariv described the selection process as a “circus” and called on the High Court to reject what he labeled Ohana’s “corrupt notice.”

The petitions further raised concerns over Rabello’s close professional connections to Netanyahu and the Likud party, suggesting a potential conflict of interest. However, the High Court panel appeared reluctant to intervene on this basis at the current stage, noting such issues might be mitigated through conflict-of-interest measures.

Englman’s term as state comptroller is set to conclude on July 3, adding urgency to resolving the dispute ahead of the transition.