JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Jewish Home party lawmaker has been identified as the Israeli Knesset member who allegedly committed acts of sexual harassment.
The allegations against Nissan Slomiansky came in a Facebook post about two weeks ago urging other women to come forward with accusations against him. Eight women reportedly have come forward and were interviewed by a panel of rabbis affiliated with the party.
Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett reportedly told Slomiansky on Thursday that if the allegations are true he will have to resign.
Slomiansky, 60, denies the charges and says he will not resign. He maintains that he is warm to everyone he knows and that the behavior has been misinterpreted.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein called on Slomiansky to suspend himself from the parliament and submit to an independent inquiry.
Slomiansky’s accuser, Hagit Moriah-Gibor, wrote in her Facebook post: “The stories are stacking up and the silence is deafening to me. There is a senior public official who is attacking women. For years. I know of an older incident and now more stories are coming to me. Disgusting. We are trying to put together a group of witnesses, even anonymously, in order to expose this man. I ask and beg for anyone who has been hurt or knows someone who has been hurt, come to me. Secrecy is guaranteed.”
Slomiansky previously served in the Knesset for the National Religious party between 1996 and 1999, and again between 2003 and 2009.
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