Last week, Brigadier-General Ofek Buchris, a former commander of the Golani Brigade who had been accused of raping an officer, accepted a plea bargain whereby he admitted to the lesser charge of sexual assault. He will not serve prison time but will be demoted to colonel and leave the army immediately with a suspended sentence.
Meanwhile, police have been questioning a former chief of staff for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gil Sheffer, who is accused of assaulting a Japanese singer following an event organised by Tokyo’s embassy in Jerusalem. Friends of Mr Sheffer told the media the accusations were “ridiculous” and the singer had been the one interested in spending time with Mr Sheffer.
Another political figure accused of sexual impropriety is a veteran Jewish Home MK whose name has not been disclosed, although it is being circulated on social media. Reports of women claiming to have been harassed by the MK have arisen a number of times before. This time, the allegations are being investigated by a group of senior rabbis — not the police. The MK has denied all allegations.