Olympic ethics panel to study sex assault allegations against Israeli rep

Television executive Alex Gilady has been accused of rape or sexual harassment by four women in Israel

A 2009 portrait of Alex Gilady (Abir Sultan/Flash 90)
A 2009 portrait of Alex Gilady (Abir Sultan/Flash 90)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee said Thursday it is looking into allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Olympic official Alex Gilady, stemming from his work as a television executive in Israel.

Gilady, an International Olympic Committee member since 1994, has temporarily stepped aside as president of Keshet Broadcasting, a primary television transmitter in Israel.

The IOC said its “Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer is currently looking into the situation and will report to the IOC Ethics Commission.”

A TV journalist and a newspaper columnist in Israel have accused Gilady of inappropriate behavior dating back to the 1990s. He denied accusations by two other women that he raped them.

Gilady is vice chairman of an IOC panel overseeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 74-year-old official is a former sports executive at NBC.

Gilady’s self-imposed leave of absence Wednesday came the day after a woman who formerly worked in media accused the television executive of rape, adding her story to those of two other journalists who complained of inappropriate behavior on Gilady’s part.

In this Thursday, April 3, 2014 file photo, International Olympic Committee member Alex Gilady of Israel smiles during a IOC-Tokyo 2020 1st Project Review session in Tokyo. Gilady. . (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara,)

Channel 10 reported Tuesday that the woman, who was not identified, said the assault happened 20 years ago when she was a candidate to present a television show that ultimately was never produced. The woman, who claims to have passed a polygraph test about the incident, said that Gilady pushed her to the ground, mentioned the names of two other women journalists and said, “What do you think made those stars, do you think they made it on their own? They all passed through this room.”

According to the complaint, he then raped her.

Another women told the Hebrew daily Haaretz newspaper that Gilady raped her in his home in an assault that allegedly happened over 35 years ago.

The rape accusations came on the heels of claims by Haaretz writer Neri Livneh who said Gilady once exposed himself to her during a visit to his villa, and allegations by newscaster Oshrat Kotler who claimed Gilady pursued her for a dinner date at a time when he was offering her to present a television show. When she rejected his sexually-toned advances and pointed out that she was married, Gilady, she said, suggested a private meeting with him was the only way to advance her career.

All of three of the incidents were alleged to have happened around 20 years ago. In a statement Monday, Gilady didn’t deny showing his private parts to Livneh but argued that it happened within the confines of his own home, and therefore was his right to do so. He denied making any indecent proposition to Kotler or even auditioning her for a television show.

 

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