Israel Police Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino on Wednesday announced the dismissal of another two high-ranking officers who have been at the center of sexual misconduct investigations in recent weeks.
A police statement said that Danino had terminated Asst.- Ch. Hagai Dotan, chief of the Coastal District, and Beersheba station chief Cmdr. Moshe Ivgy, after reviewing findings of the Justice Ministry probes against them. Both terminations must be approved by the minister of public security Minister to become final.Dotan has been accused of sexually harassing female officers under his command, while Ivgy is the subject of a complaint that he sexually harassed a pregnant woman.
Dotan now becomes the eighth officer with the rank of assistant chief – the second highest in the police force – to be dismissed or resign over the past year and a half; five, including Dotan, who were involved in sexual misconduct.
This includes former deputy commissioner Nissim Mor, who was fired last month following an investigation of complaints of sexual harassment by several female police officers who worked under him.
Danino said of the terminations that “there is no connection between the police force we read about in the headlines and the one we see out in the field.” He added, “We in the police have a very clear way of doing things – those who follow our path will stay in the police force and those who don’t will no longer be with us, no matter what rank they hold.”
The dismissals came the day after the Justice Ministry announced that two additional police commanders are under investigation for sexual assault and sexual harassment. Both officers are based in northern Israel and hold the rank of nitzav mishne (commander). The rank is one of the more senior ones in the organization, and is held by station and subdistrict chiefs, among other high-level positions.
One of the commanders was questioned by Justice Ministry investigators for five hours on Monday night, after a female police volunteer in her 20s complained that he sexually harassed her and tried to kiss her against her will. Following his questioning, the ministry ordered him suspended for two weeks.
