Police grill Likud’s Kara over claim of sexual harassment

Likud MK denies allegations involving PMO employee, says he doesn't have contact with female workers, claims are "political assassination."

By BEN HARTMAN, YAAKOV LAPPIN, LAHAV HARKOV
ayoub kara 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
ayoub kara 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Police investigators questioned Deputy Regional Development Minister Ayoub Kara (Likud) for five hours on Tuesday, in connection to allegations he sexually harassed a young woman working at the Prime Minister’s Office four years ago.
Kara has denied the allegations, and in comments made to The Jerusalem Post last month, his spokesman said “the deputy minister does not have any direct contact with female workers. Everyone that works with [Kara] is male.”
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The spokesman called the claims a “political assassination” that “will be revealed as nothing but an over-inflated balloon.”
In an interview with Army Radio last week, the complainant “Samech” said that she filed a police complaint six months ago about an incident that had occurred two years earlier.
“It’s very difficult to stand up to a public figure, a deputy minister,” Samech told Army Radio. “He is part of a major institution, and I am a simple citizen whose rights were taken away. That is why it took me so long to complain.”
Samech added that she is complaining “for every woman, so they will know they have the right to say ‘no.’” Samech reportedly gave the police a detailed list of witnesses who were interrogated in recent months.
Kara was accused of raping a woman in his office in 2000, but no indictment was issued against him in the case.