Knesset Vows to Block Ex-Minister Accused of Sexual Assault from Leading Aerospace Firm

The chair of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality railed on Sunday against the nomination of a former minister who has been repeatedly accused of sexual assault to lead Israel Aerospace Industries. Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen, the head of the Knesset committee, said the panel would urge the Defense Ministry not to appoint former Likud minister Silvan Shalom — who largely left public life in 2015 after growing accusations — to the position. During a committee session on Sunday on support and assistance for victims of sexual violence, a woman, identified only as Michal, testified that Shalom assaulted her during his time as science and technology minister. “Make sure this man is not in a public position,” she said, adding that he should be in jail. “You are placing Israel’s security in the hands of a rapist.” When the story first broke, 13 women came forward to make allegations against Shalom. None filed police complaints, and the police investigation into the allegations was subsequently closed. Shalom has denied the allegations. Shalom, who served in the Knesset for more than 20 years and held several ministerial positions, resigned from political life in 2015 amid the mounting allegations. Journalist Hadash Shteif testified during the committee hearing on Sunday that she knows of at least four other women who worked at the Knesset who were assaulted by Shalom. “This man is a sex offender. Period,” said Shteif. “It’s unacceptable that a man who has harmed so many women would be given such a senior position.” In response, Cohen said that the committee would approach Defense Minister Israel Katz to urge him not to approve Shalom’s appointment to lead the state-owned IAI. The defense giant, which develops and manufactures advanced missile defense systems for air, space, sea, land, cyber, and homeland security, is valued at about $20 billion. The Calcalist news outlet reported last week that Shalom was being recommended by Katz and Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem to take the helm of the state-owned IAI. His nomination has drawn criticism from sexual assault victims’ advocates, including the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, which said that “his appointment will cast a heavy shadow on IAI and send a sharp and painful message about the priority of women’s safety.” In a letter addressed to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the Israel Women’s Network noted that the reasons why the investigations did not proceed were not due to a lack of evidence, but because of the statute of limitations and victims who did not want to testify. Even so, the organization noted that when considering the candidacy of someone to lead “the largest government company in Israel, there is immense importance in taking into account the testimonies of the women who claimed he harmed them, as a central consideration in examining his suitability.” Police negligence Also testifying before the committee on Sunday was October 7 survivor Shaylee Atary, who spoke about the inadequate state response to the violent sexual assault that she experienced in 2011. “In April 2011, I was violently raped on the asphalt of a residential parking lot beneath my apartment in Tel Aviv,” said Atary. After she went to the police, providing evidence of her injuries, “the police were negligent, and the prosecution closed the case for lack of evidence,” she said. “The court protected the perpetrator under a gag order. The investigation materials show serious negligence and a lack of willingness to get to the truth. My main witness, who found me unconscious, was never even questioned — the person who saw my injuries and heard me screaming at the rapist,” Atary continued. Atary survived the Hamas-led massacre at her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. Her husband, Yahav Winner, was killed protecting her and their newborn baby, Shaya, enabling them to flee. They were rescued after hiding out for more than 24 hours. She said that she and the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel are drafting a bill that will soon be brought before the Knesset to grant victims the right to be “kept informed of proceedings regarding a request for a gag order for a suspect in sexual offenses, and to express [their] position regarding the request.” Gag orders — court-imposed bans on publishing case details — are a common feature of the Israeli legal landscape, especially in cases of sexual assault. They are intended to protect the privacy and safety of both victims and the accused, and to ensure the integrity of legal proceedings. Atary noted that victims of sexual assault, as in other violent crimes, are not considered “a party to the proceedings” under Israeli law and are given limited rights during the judicial process. In response to Atary’s testimony, Cohen said that “the system is bankrupt. It has failed,” noting that survivors of sexual assault repeat the same stories of police negligence again and again. Cohen requested that the police and relevant ministries conduct an internal review and asked the Justice Ministry to examine the bill being drafted.