A diplomat at one of the biggest Israeli consulates in the United States has been suspended over sexual harassments complaints filed against her, it was revealed Wednesday.
Head of the Israel Civil Service Commission Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz was the one who suspended the consul until the end of the probe being conducted into the complaints.
Investigators from the Israel Civil Service Commission flew to the U.S. to conduct the investigation, and even filed a bill of indictment against the diplomat, who acted as the consular affairs commissioner and administrative officer.
The bill of indictment includes four sexual harassment complaints from four separate young employees under her authority. She is being accused for frequently touching her employees, leaning on them, stroking their buttocks, massaging their backs, sensually petting their backs or arms with her fingers, kissing them on the cheek, and making verbal sexual innuendos.
The fifth worker mentioned in the indictment is a witness, and was flown from Israel to testify.
The consul is married to a woman, who is is formally recognized by the Foreign Ministry as her official partner, and the two have a child together.
The Israel Civil Service Commission said in a statement: "The disciplinary division of the commission sees every discovery of sexual harassment in state service as severe, and acts in relevant cases to bring the offenders to trial, suspend them, and even petition for their dismissal by the Civil Service Disciplinary Tribunal."
The Foreign Ministry said it is treating the matter "as severe," and that its office has "zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment."
Ilana Honigman, the diplomat's lawyer, defended the consul. "We're talking about false complains from a handful of plaintiffs, which stem from a primitive opinion on the open sexuality of my client. She'll prove her innocence and the injustice that's been inflicted on her."