Israeli Minister Target of Sexual Assault Inquiry

Just as Israel was launching ceremonies marking International Women’s Day, the country was rocked Tuesday by the latest scandal to hit local politics: A senior government minister is under criminal investigation for the alleged sexual assault of a female employee.

Transportation Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, a military hero and candidate for prime minister in last year’s election, emphatically denied the charges. But in a brief, teary-eyed speech, he also announced that he is taking a leave of absence while police conduct the inquiry.

The news was leaked first on the Internet early Tuesday and then dominated radio, TV and the halls of parliament throughout the day, upstaging a special legislative session on the status of women.

At that session, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who had already been scheduled to address visiting female luminaries, looked uncomfortable as he spoke obliquely against violence that victimizes women and against those who abuse their authority and power to commit it.

Later, Barak said Mordechai is a man “who has been through many difficult things” and would know to do the right thing.

Barak can ill afford another political headache. He is already battling to hold his unruly coalition government together as he navigates a decisive and complex phase of peace negotiations with the last of Israel’s Arab enemies. Last week, after members of his government deserted him, Barak lost a key parliamentary vote that will undermine his peacemaking efforts with Syria.

Mordechai, who served as defense minister in the previous, right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu before abandoning it, represents a small centrist party that ultimately aligned with Barak’s faction. He is a popular figure whose Sephardic background delivered to the Barak camp a constituency that will be crucial in upcoming political battles.

Mordechai, 55, is accused of harassing and then assaulting a 23-year-old woman who works in his ministry. The woman who made the allegations passed a polygraph test during which she was asked whether he had groped and kissed her, said her attorney, Shira Dunevitch.

“She was under very heavy pressure not to complain,” Dunevitch said.

Na’amat, a leading women’s organization, released statistics Tuesday showing that 50% of Israeli women say they have been sexually harassed in the workplace. About 10% of complaints filed last year came from women working in government offices, the group said.

At least four of Mordechai’s Cabinet colleagues called for him to resign or be suspended.

“It is inconceivable that a minister who harmed and sexually harassed a woman should continue to hold his position,” Immigration Minister Yuli Tamir said. “We must repeat our commitment to fight violence against women at all levels, wherever it occurs.”

Mordechai, who is also deputy prime minister and part of Barak’s inner-circle “security Cabinet,” went on national TV to defend himself.

“These things never happened,” he said.

Mordechai joined a list of prominent Israelis under investigation or linked to a criminal probe, including the current prime minister, his predecessor, the president, a leading newspaper publisher, the former justice minister and the former head of the largest religious political party.

Uzi Baram, a veteran legislator from Barak’s Labor Party, perhaps summed it up best Tuesday as he strolled through the corridors of the Knesset, or parliament, and watched the huddling and snickers of his fellow lawmakers.

“I want to tell everyone we are in the same boat--not that we are all guilty of the same offenses, but we all share in the rapidly declining status and public credibility of politicians,” Baram said. “Politics and politicians in Israel have hit a new low.”