Employee was reportedly trying to pay for family member's medical treatment.
By JPOST.COM STAFFjp.services1(photo credit: )
An employee at Israel's New York consulate resigned recently after it came to light that he had been moonlighting as a star in pornographic films.
The man, who worked in cleaning and maintenance at the consulate in addition to studying for an MBA degree at one of the city's universities, was described as a "dedicated" employee, who, according to Army Radio, had turned to X-rated film work to earn money to pay for the medical treatment of a gravely ill family member.
His sideline was exposed after the New York Post tabloid connected him to the Israeli consulate, tracked down his Web site, and contacted him with a fictitious offer of film work. The man replied and accepted the offer. In an apparent attempt to sniff out a bigger scandal, the paper asked him if he supplied sex services, but the employee said he did not.
After the New York Post published its expose, consul officials called the employee in for a meeting, which culminated in his resigning.
When asked why a consul employee couldn't earn money in porn in his or her free time, a consulate official told Army Radio that involvement in the porn industry would expose its employees to blackmail, creating a security risk.
Labor MK Colette Avital, former consul-general to New York, said Tuesday that while the employee's story was "heartbreaking," the minute a consul worker took part in blue movies it reflected on the consulate.
"It's a shame that there have been so many embarrassing incidents [in the Foreign Ministry] lately," Avital said.
In March, Israel's ambassador to El Salvador was reportedly found naked, bound, gagged and drunk in the yard of the ambassador's residence in San Salvador.
The ambassador, Tsuriel Raphael, was recalled, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Yariv Ovadia said the facts of the incident needed to be clarified before the ministry would determine what, if any, further disciplinary steps should be taken.
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