Two senior Shin Bet women complain their supervisor sexually harassed them

The alleged harassment started in 2013 and continued through this year.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Updated: JULY 27, 2015 17:12
Sexual harassment victim [Illustrative] (photo credit: INIMAGE)
Sexual harassment victim [Illustrative]
(photo credit: INIMAGE)
It was revealed on Monday that two senior Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) women complained in April that their supervisor, one of the top officials in the elite homeland security agency, had sexually harassed them.
Reportedly, the events, including touching the women in intimate places, rubbing on them and making improper verbal comments started in 2013 and continued through this year.
The complaints were turned over to the Representative for Public Service Disciplinary Division who is expected to nail down a plea bargain deal which a Disciplinary Court would need to approve, with the accused Shin Bet official in which he will be suspended from his post, pay a fine and receive an official censure, but will not be fired from the agency.
Reportedly the women’s ranks are equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the army.
The Shin Bet responded to the report noting that when it received the complaints in April, it immediately turned over the complaints to the Representative for Public Service Disciplinary Division who appointed an investigator.
Next, the agency said that once the file was transferred, it has observed proper procedures by having no involvement with the case so that there could not even be any appearance that the Shin Bet was placing any pressures on the investigators.
Further, the Shin Bet said that it has “given full cooperation” to the investigators and does not even know to this day what the various parties involved testified to when they were interrogated or to the investigations “findings or conclusions” which are being decided “solely according to the investigator’s discretion.”
The Shin Bet said it “views maintaining proper norms of behavior for managers” and those under them, “both senior and lower ones as one” as an issue of “paramount importance.”
It added that if the investigation finds validity in the complaints, the Shin Bet will take appropriate disciplinary action or even support criminal charges.


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