Woman files sex harassment complaint against Silvan Shalom; probe later closed

More complainants said to wait in the wings as case against retired senior minister gathers steam, but investigation subsequently halted

Former Likud MK and presidential hopeful Silvan Shalom pictured at a joint press conference of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. (photo credit: Flash 90)
Former Likud MK and presidential hopeful Silvan Shalom pictured at a joint press conference of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. (photo credit: Flash 90)

A woman who claims Silvan Shalom sexually harassed her three years ago, when he was still a cabinet minister, filed a formal complaint against him with police, Army Radio reported Tuesday.

A special investigative team from Lahav 433 — a unit within the Israel Police that investigates public corruption — has been looking into a series of sexual misconduct allegations against Shalom for the past four months.

(Update: The allegations against Shalom were not substantiated and the investigation was subsequently closed.)

Police are hoping that the first complaint will spur other women who may have been harassed to come forward.

That team reached the woman four months ago. She was eventually convinced to testify that during a meeting with Shalom some three years ago he harassed her, the report said.

At least two more women are reportedly prepared to come forward with complaints against the former minister, who retired from politics in December 2015 after a slew of allegations against him were made public. He protested his innocence of all wrongdoing.

As far back as a year and a half ago, when Shalom was running for president, allegations of sexual harassment were raised, but none of the women were willing to file a formal complaint at the time.

In December 2015, a former bodyguard to Shalom told the business daily, The Marker, that he personally witnessed the minister meeting with different women, including subordinates, in restaurants.

The bodyguard, who chose to remain anonymous, said the minister would enter the restaurant’s bathroom with the women and have sexual relations with them in one of the stalls.

Meanwhile, Channel 2 reported Tuesday that one woman alleged Shalom had harassed her and that she had demanded NIS 700,000 (about $180,000) in return for her silence.

A letter sent to Shalom by the woman’s lawyer was said to have included results of a polygraph test apparently showing that the woman’s complaint — that Shalom had touched her hair and her leg at a party — was truthful.

Since allegations were first brought forth the former minister has refused to comment on the matter, denying any and all accusations of sexual abuse on his part.

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