Celebrated Israeli actor subject of sexual harassment complaints by series of women

By BEN HARTMAN
Updated: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 03:25
Moshe Ivgy (photo credit: GADI DAGON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Moshe Ivgy
(photo credit: GADI DAGON/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
A series of women have leveled sexual harassment and abuse allegations against Moshe Ivgy, one of Israel’s most celebrated actors.
The allegations were first reported on Wednesday by Walla in an article that claimed that six women who formerly worked with the actor accused him of harassment in conversations with the outlet in recent months.
The article quotes one complainant, “Y.,” as saying that 10 years earlier she was a 24-year-old actress who had been hired for a role on a TV show that Ivgy was starring in. According to Walla, she said that Ivgy met with her to discuss a scene on the show and repeatedly asked her if she wanted rehearse a kissing scene on the show. She said that she declined and Ivgy forced himself on her, kissing her against her will until she pushed him off her.
The article includes photos of the results of polygraph tests it says were taken by two complainants, who were found to be telling the truth.
In both cases, the women said they were kissed against their will and were fired not long after they refused his advances.
On Wednesday, Ivgy said that he is shocked by the allegations and that “I never in any way hurt a man or woman, my conscience is sound.”
Spokespeople for the Tel Aviv Police and the National Police headquarters said they were not familiar with any formal complaint filed against Ivgy.
Ivgy has been one of the country’s most popular actors for decades, with TV and cinema roles including in the Israeli mafia drama series The Arbitrator and in Steven Spielberg’s Munich, playing Mossad hit team leader Mike Harari.