ISRAEL
Israel’s Civil Service Commission (CSC) says it will examine whether there are any sexual harassment allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Foreign Media Adviser, David Keyes after he became a Public Servant.
“Insofar as such cases are identified, they will be examined from the disciplinary point of view,” the CSC said in a statement.
Mr Keyes said he had decided to step down from his position in light of the multiple sexual harassment allegations being made against him.
At least 14 women have come forward claiming he sexually assaulted or behaved inappropriately with them.
The CSC initially said it would not conduct an investigation, stating that while
Mr Keyes may have acted improperly, his behaviour did not constitute a criminal or disciplinary offence.
A female representative of the CSC’s Department of Discipline interviewed a woman who had accused Mr Keyes of having made an “aggressive, sexual” advance weeks after he started working for Mr Netanyahu.
“It was a very frustrating call. I told her that he [Mr Keyes] abused his position of power,” the woman, who asked to remain unnamed, told The Times of Israel, adding that the call lasted about five minutes.
The woman, a recent immigrant from North America in her 20s, is the only person so far who alleges improper behaviour by Mr Keyes after he had started working for Mr Netanyahu.
The CSC said it was also looking into the role of Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer (pictured), who has acknowledged that he was warned about Mr Keyes’s alleged misconduct, but failed to alert the relevant authorities.
Opposition lawmaker, Karine Elharrar has called on Mr Netanyahu to dismiss Mr Dermer for failing to report the sexual misconduct allegations.
She said Mr Dermer was legally obligated to pass on the warnings of inappropriate behaviour about the Prime Minister’s Foreign Media Adviser.
Ms Elharrar said the growing number of allegations against Mr Keyes was “disturbing”.
Jerusalem, 23 September, 2018
