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Bayit Yehudi MK faces allegations of sexual harassment

Woman who knows alleged victims posts on Facebook, calling on others who may have been harassed by the MK to contact her; no complaints filed with the police so far; Bennett: 'I spoke to MK, he denied allegations'; MK's associates: 'Every few years, false stories are spread about him.'

A member of Knesset from the Bayit Yehudi party has been accused in a Facebook post of sexually harassing women, sending Israeli social media into frenzy in recent days.

 

 

Chagit Moriah-Gibor, who knows the complainants, posted on Facebook calling on other women that may have been harassed by the MK to contact her.

 

"The stories keep piling up, and this silence is deafening to me," wrote Moriah-Gibor. "There's a senior public official who has attacked and still attacks women, for years now. I know of an old case and recently I've encountered additional stories. Shocking ones. We're trying to put together several testimonies, even anonymously, to expose this man. I'm asking and begging you. If anyone has experienced this, or knows someone else who experienced this, or knows of such an experience—contact me. Complete confidentiality is assured."

 

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Photo: Shutterstock

 

Moriah-Gibor told Army Radio on Thursday morning that she is aware of three women who claim the MK sexually harassed them, but none of them would file a complaint with the police.

 

"It's important to me that this doesn't become a political issue," she said.

 

Officials in the political establishment said the leaders of Bayit Yehudi knew of the allegations, but did nothing. Party leader Naftali Bennett said Thursday that he spoke with the MK and that "the MK in question completely denied the allegations."

 

"Minister Bennett is calling on anyone who feels she has been hurt, and any person in any position, to go and complain to law enforcement authorities," his office said.

 

Associates of the accused MK, meanwhile, said that "We're used to the fact that every few years, there are those who spread stories about the MK, and eventually it turns out there's nothing to these stories. We have no interest in rewarding the slanderers by helping them in blowing things out of proportion, which is why we will settle for this response."

 

Yedioth Ahronoth has obtained several testimonies from women who claim their friends were harassed by the MK. Two of the women spoke of harassment and another about abuse of authority.

 

The women who are leading the search for other possible cases are not the alleged victims, but friends of theirs.

 

One of the women said on Wednesday, "I know a few stories about him. There's one old harassment story from quite a few years ago, and other stories that are more fresh and severe of abuse of authority."

 

Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that ahead of the 2015 elections, one of the women who claims to have testimony against the Bayit Yehudi MK contacted another member of Knesset, asking her to look into the matter. The MK instructed the woman to take the testimony to the police.

 

Rabbis in the national-religious sector said they have received complaints from women against the MK and have established a team to investigate the matter, led by Safed's rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu.

 

Meretz MKs Michal Rozin, Zehava Galon and Tamar Zandberg released a statement on matter, calling on Bennett to "root out the bad apples in your party. This time you won't be able to wait for other people to do your job for you. No one, no matter who, particularly elected officials, has immunity when it comes to hurting women. Every minute of silence puts all members of your party under suspicion and sends a grave message to the alleged victims from the parliament and the minister entrusted with our children's education.

 

"You must conduct a thorough inquiry in your party and promise the victims your support and protection. You should turn to law enforcement authorities and ask them to launch an investigation. Any other action is akin to cooperating with the suspected MK."



 

There have been no complaints filed with the police so far.

 

Amihai Attali, Yael Freidson, Moran Azulay and Kobi Nachshoni contributed to this story.

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.01.16, 10:58
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