New Hope MK Sharren Haskel tells the High Court of Justice that Knesset members from her party were instructed to video themselves voting for the Likud’s state comptroller candidate Michael Rabello in the Knesset election for the position that was held at the beginning of June.
In an affidavit to the High Court, Haskel says that MKs were also instructed to show the video of their vote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had insisted that the coalition candidate for the position be Rabello, his longtime lawyer and adviser.
She does not say who issued the instructions. Nonetheless, the testimony appears to contradict previous affidavits filed at the court by Likud director David Sharan and several Likud MKs that there had been no instructions from Likud officials for coalition MKs to record their votes.
Haskel’s statement was made as part of her legal efforts to become independent of New Hope, headed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel watchdog group calls for the attorney general to open up a perjury investigation in light of the apparently contradictory testimonies.
The High Court has ruled that a new election must be held because six coalition MKs recorded their votes in what is required to be a secret ballot, regardless of whether they did so at the instruction of others.
Senior cabinet ministers, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, said that the Knesset and government should ignore the ruling, but Rabello himself has refused to take up the position in light of the High Court decision.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has yet to schedule a new vote for the state comptroller position.
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