Israeli diplomat fired for sexual harassment at Chicago consulate
Former consular officer accepts plea deal after being accused of having improper relations and harassing women who worked for her at the mission, but claims probe was flawed
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The Civil Service Commission has fired an Israeli diplomat who acknowledged sexually harassing several workers at the Chicago Consulate, according to a Monday report.
Michal Keren David acknowledged the acts in a plea agreement relating to the period between October 2021 and April 2022, when she served as the consular and administrative affairs officer in the consulate, the Ynet news site reported.
She was accused of sexual harassment and improper relations with at least four young women who worked for her at the mission.
The commission ordered Keren David permanently terminated from the Foreign Ministry, docked her one month’s pay, and barred her from working for the government in any capacity for eight years.
She had been suspended since April 2022.
Keren David’s lawyer Ayala Honigman told Ynet that her client had reluctantly agreed to the plea deal because “she intended to turn over a new leaf in her life overseas.”
“She has no desire to work for the Foreign Ministry or in the civil service,” she said.
During the hearings, Keren David raised questions about the handling of her case, saying, “No one from the Foreign Ministry came to hear my side and there was no in-depth investigation regarding the workings of the consulate that ended in my disciplinary proceedings. I agreed to the plea deal because I want to put the disciplinary procedure behind me and start a new path.”
Keren David had worked for the ministry for 16 years, including a posting at the consulate in New York City.
She has since opened a consulting agency assisting people relocating to the US, with a focus on LGBTQ families.
The Times of Israel Community.