Prominent Israeli actor Moshe Ivgy convicted of indecent assault

Prominent Israeli actor Moshe Ivgy was convicted Thursday of indecent assault, almost four years after initial accusations were leveled against him.

The Haifa Magistrate’s Court acquitted Ivgy, 66, of the other charges against him, citing insufficient evidence.

Prosecutors filed the charges in 2018, saying they found sufficient evidence that Ivgy had exploited his status to commit indecent acts and sexually harass four women in 2012 and 2013, some of them at his workplace. He faced four counts of indecent acts and three of sexual harassment.

Six women initially accused Ivgy of harassing them while they were working together on various films, TV shows, and plays. The initial accusations against Ivgy were made in February 2016.

Actor Moshe Ivgy delivers a statement regarding sexual harassment allegations against him, at the end of a theater show in Tel Aviv on Sunday, February 7, 2016 (Flash90)

The women told the Walla news site of private rehearsals in which Ivgy would force himself on them, often insisting on unnecessary “rehearsing” of intimate scenes, and kissing them against their will.

Ivgy, who denies any wrongdoing, said in February 2016 he would take a break from acting for the duration of the probe.

The prizewinning actor and director was born in Morocco and moved to Israel with his parents as a baby.

Ivgy has appeared in dozens of films, plays and television shows, including “Hunting Elephants” (2013) and Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” and won an Ophir — Israel’s Academy Award — for his supporting role in “Metallic Blues” in 2004, the same year he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in the award-winning “Campfire.”

In October 2016 Ivgy was awarded Best Actor in a Feature Film by the Haifa International Film Festival on Monday for his role in the film “The 90 Minute War,” prompting outrage from women’s rights groups.