Israel's rescue chief steps down over sexual assault claims
The head of Israel’s renowned ZAKA rescue service has stepped down from his post and relinquished a prestigious national prize amid sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1980s
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The head of Israel's renowned ZAKA rescue service stepped down from his post on Friday and relinquished a prestigious national prize amid sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1980s.
Israeli media said police opened an investigation.
In a statement, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, 61, denied the allegations detailed by the Haaretz daily a day earlier. The newspaper said it had interviewed six accusers and obtained evidence of sexual assault and exploitation going back decades, including of teenagers and younger children.
The allegations surfaced just days after Meshi-Zahav was awarded the nation's most prestigious honor, the Israel Prize for his work in ZAKA, the search and rescue organization he co-founded.
The organization, drawing from thousands of volunteers, became internationally known in the 1990s when it responded to a wave of attacks by Palestinian militants.
In a letter addressed to ZAKA volunteers and released Friday, Meshi-Zahav rejected the allegations against him. He said that “these stories are unfounded, gossip and the settling of scores against me.”
He said he was temporarily stepping down from his post because of concern over the “damage that may be caused as a result to this important organization.” He also said he was also relinquishing the Israel Prize.