Prosecutors seek prison term for actor Moshe Ivgy, convicted of indecent assault

Prosecutors on Sunday requested a 15-month prison sentence for prominent Israeli actor Moshe Ivgy, who was convicted of indecent assault in January, almost four years after initial accusations were leveled against him.

Prosecutors made the request at the sentencing hearing in Haifa Magistrate’s Court, despite a recommendation from the probation service of no jail time for Ivgy, 66.

Ivgy’s lawyer requested that his client receive a suspended sentence, saying that he had already been punished by being unable to perform.

“He imposed on himself a tremendous economic and public punishment by not standing on any stage or being interviewed in the media for five years [sic],” said defense attorney Michael Carmel, according to the Kan public broadcaster. “We hope the court will settle for this punishment. No public figure has taken responsibility like he has.”

The charges against Ivgy were filed in 2018, with prosecutors 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. The Haifa Magistrate’s Court acquitted Ivgy of the other charges against him, citing insufficient evidence.

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.

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.

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.