Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert warned Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies could attempt to manipulate the next general elections, accusing them of using intimidation and coercion in the Knesset vote that elected a new state comptroller, Anadolu reports.
His warning came a day after the Knesset’s election of Michael Rabello, the Netanyahu family’s lawyer, as Israel’s new state comptroller.
Rabello, backed by the governing coalition, narrowly defeated opposition-backed retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron, amid warnings of potential conflicts of interest.
The opposition has alleged that the vote was marred by irregularities, including warnings for lawmakers against supporting the opposition candidate.
“What happened yesterday is a preview of what will happen in the next Knesset elections,” Olmert told Israel’s 103FM radio.
