A legal and political crisis is shaking the foundations of public oversight in Israel, against the backdrop of a governance vacuum created by the failure to fill the position of State Comptroller. Adv. Amit Becher, Chair of the Israel Bar Association, addressed a formal letter to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and the Knesset Legal Advisor, Sagit Afik, demanding that the Knesset plenum be convened to hold repeat elections for the State Comptroller position. This demand comes roughly a month and a half after the Supreme Court ordered the annulment of the previous selection process.
As previously reported, the appointment of Adv. Michael Ravilo as State Comptroller was frozen following petitions to the High Court, which alleged a violation of secret ballot procedures due to self-documentation by members of the Knesset. The panel of justices—Noam Sohlberg, Dafna Barak-Erez, and Gila Canfy-Steinitz—found a "fundamental flaw" in the process and ordered a repeat election. Conversely, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has expressed the position that the High Court acted without authority and that he does not intend to comply with the court's order.
This stance is reinforced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who argues that no repeat election should be held and that the previously elected comptroller should assume the position. The practical significance of this impasse is particularly severe for employees seeking protection from corruption or misconduct in their workplaces. According to N12 reports, the Office of the State Comptroller confirmed that ten requests for protection orders have been summarily rejected since the beginning of July, in the absence of a legally authorized official to grant them.
For instance, a senior employee at a government ministry did not receive a response to her inquiry, as there is no one authorized to sign temporary or permanent protection orders. In his letter, Amit Becher emphasizes that this constitutes a violation of a court ruling with criminal and administrative implications, and he calls on the Knesset Legal Advisor to instruct the relevant parties to ensure compliance with the law. The issue is sparking widespread public and political furor, with the opposition threatening to file a motion for contempt of court due to the refusal to comply with judicial directives.