Mazuz gets findings on Ayalon's behavior

Israeli Embassy workers complained that Ayalon's wife, Ann, had abused them.

By DAN IZENBERG
mazuz 88 (photo credit: )
mazuz 88
(photo credit: )
Civil Service Commissioner Ya'acov Hollander has handed over to Attorney-General Menahen Mazuz the findings of a special committee established to investigate charges of wrongdoing against Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon, the Justice Ministry said Saturday. The investigation began three months ago, after Israeli Embassy workers complained that Ayalon's wife, Ann, had abused them. There were also reports that Ayalon had spent money on trips outside Washington for Liran Peterzil, a political aide who was later fired by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, reportedly at the insistence of his wife Judy Nir-Moses Shalom. After Peterzil was fired, Ayalon charged that Shalom had fired him because he had failed to arrange a photo session for his wife and the singer Madonna, who visited Israel last year to take part in services at the Kabala Center in Tel Aviv. On September 27, the chief Civil Service Commission investigator Natanel Levitt flew to Washington to complete the investigation of the allegations against the Ayalons and their counter-allegations against Shalom. Levitt presented the ambassador with the findings of his investigation and asked for his response. He then returned to Israel and prepared his summary report, which he handed over to Hollander. Now, Hollander has presented the report to Mazuz. After the state prosecution studies the report, Mazuz and Hollander will meet to decide whether any steps should be taken against the Ayalons and if so, whether they should be criminal, administrative or both. Justice Ministry spokesman Ya'acov Galanti refused to comment on the contents of the Civil Service Commissioner's report and added that Mazuz had not yet studied it. Herb Keinon contributed to this report.