Sagi quits Labor over harassment rumors

Former OC Military Intelligence Brig.-Gen. (res.) Uri Sagi drops out of the Labor primary race.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Uri Sagie_top (photo credit: KKL)
Uri Sagie_top
(photo credit: KKL)
Former OC Military Intelligence Brig.-Gen. (res.) Uri Sagi dropped out of the Labor primary race because of sexual harassment allegations, he admitted on Thursday.
“Yesterday, I was told there are rumors, and I found myself in a situation where I cannot respond, because I don’t know who said what and what their motives are,” he said.
A woman approached Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich this week and told her Sagi sexually harassed her nearly 40 years ago, Channel 2 News reported on Wednesday night.
On Wednesday afternoon, Labor sent out a message that Sagi was withdrawing from the primary for “reasons of family health.”
Sagi told Army Radio that no one told him to quit the primary, and would not comment on Yacimovich’s actions.
“Everyone deals with conflicts in the way he or she learned from experience,” he said. “I have my own way to deal with crises.”
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The former Labor candidate said he was sure similar incidents had occurred with other aspiring politicians.
“Cheap politics like this prevents capable people from participating, and people who don’t have much to offer run,” Sagi said.
The list of Labor primary candidates was finalized late Monday night, with 83 in the running, 13 of whom were specially authorized by Yacimovich, because they had not been Labor Party members long enough to run without her doing so.
“The large number of candidates shows faith in the party,” Labor Secretary-General Hilik Bar said. “I was excited to see how people from all population groups, districts, sectors and religions in the State of Israel submitted candidacy, which shows that Labor led by Yacimovich speaks to varied segments of Israeli society.”
On Thursday, Labor Knesset faction chairman Isaac Herzog was appointed head of the party’s election staff. He will begin campaigning after the primary on November 29.