Woman denies penning Sa’ar sex abuse letter
Transportation minister threatens lawsuit after journalist jokes that he distributed the damning document
The alleged author of a letter that levels accusations of sexual abuse at Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday denied to police that she had written the missive.
The letter, which was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, was signed with the initials M.C., ostensibly a woman who was the minister’s subordinate. According to the letter, she had an affair with Sa’ar and accuses him of having used his rank to take advantage of her and cause her lasting harm. The letter also accuses the minister of having illicit relations with a drunken minor at a nightclub and of carrying on an affair with another female politician.
M.C. denied authorship of the letter and said that she knew nothing about the allegations contained in the letter or its true author.
Channel 2 News on Monday evening cited senior Likud sources to the effect that behind the letter were rival Likud ministers who were trying to tarnish Sa’ar’s bright political future.
On Wednesday as fallout from the affair continued, Israel National News reported that Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz of Likud threatened a lawsuit against journalist Hanoch Daum, who speculated that “a fat girl named Yisrael Katz” was behind the letter during an Channel 10 interview. Daum and host Guy Meroz said the remark was a joke.
Sources close to Sa’ar dismissed the letter on Monday, telling the Hebrew daily Haaretz that it was a smear tactic aimed at hurting his political standing. His associates, meanwhile, haven’t filed a complaint over the letter with police.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Monday ordered an investigation into the matter. The Education Ministry has yet to comment on the issue, but Yedioth Ahronoth reported that a statement from Sa’ar’s office would be forthcoming “soon.”
Michal Shmulovich contributed to this report.
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