{"id":104382,"date":"2025-07-30T08:55:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T08:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/104382\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T08:55:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T08:55:20","slug":"despite-rape-allegations-likud-lawmaker-hanoch-milwidsky-appointed-head-of-knesset-f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/104382\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite rape allegations, Likud lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky appointed head of Knesset F"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a highly contentious move, the Knesset House Committee on Tuesday approved the appointment of Likud lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky as chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, just four days after he was questioned by police on suspicion of rape, indecent acts and witness tampering. <\/p>\n

The decision was passed with a 9\u20136 majority, despite intense political pressure and calls to delay the vote until the investigation concludes. The Finance Committee later confirmed the appointment with a final vote of 10 in favor and seven against. Milwidsky did not attend the hearings.<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d7\u05e0\u05d5\u05da<\/a>\"\u05d7\u05e0\u05d5\u05da<\/p>\n

Likud Knesset member Hanoch Milwidsky <\/p>\n

(Photo: Dani Shem Tov)<\/p>\n

The move drew sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers, who read aloud parts of a complaint submitted by a woman accusing Milwidsky of rape. Coalition Chair Ofir Katz dismissed the concerns, asking: \u201cIf it was so serious, why didn\u2019t she come forward the day after, and only now after two years?\u201d<\/p>\n

Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv stood firmly by Milwidsky. \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as the prosecution not summoning someone for a full year if there\u2019s a real case. The complaint, based on what we know, doesn\u2019t even justify a summons. They don\u2019t understand the presumption of innocence. They\u2019re calling someone a rapist before the case is even closed. We have a coalition majority, so I urge you\u2014vote for Hanoch,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The debate nearly devolved into a physical altercation. Vladimir Beliak of Yesh Atid and Knesset Deputy Speaker Nissim Vaturi of Likud traded insults, calling each other \u201cabsolute zero.\u201d Vaturi also lashed out at lawmaker Naama Lazimi\u2019s aide, calling her, \u201cIdiot,\u201d \u201cCriminal,\u201d and \u201cStupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d5\u05e2\u05d3\u05ea<\/a>\"\u05d5\u05e2\u05d3\u05ea<\/p>\n

Pnina Tamano-Shata and MK Naama Lazimi <\/p>\n

(Photo: Dani Shem Tov)<\/p>\n

Lawmaker Oded Forer of Yisrael Beiteinu slammed the entire process. \u201cIf a soldier fighting in Gaza or one of the hostages saw what this Knesset is dealing with, they\u2019d be ashamed. This is an appointment born in sin. You\u2019re pushing appointments to grease the wheels for your draft-dodging law instead of addressing your government\u2019s failures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called the appointment \u201ca red line\u2014even by their twisted standards. It normalizes harm against women. This is a misogynistic coalition that\u2019s tearing Israeli society apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yisrael Beiteinu Chair Avigdor Liberman added: \u201cIn any normal country, a member of Knesset suspected of rape wouldn\u2019t even come near the chair of the Finance Committee. Under Netanyahu, he gets promoted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Milwidsky responded after the vote: \u201cThere\u2019s a vast gap between what\u2019s being broadcast in the media and what actually happened. I\u2019m confident that once the details emerge, decent people will understand the situation better. I haven\u2019t taken any criticism personally.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"\u05d5\u05e2\u05d3\u05ea<\/a>\"\u05d5\u05e2\u05d3\u05ea<\/p>\n

Coalition Chair Ofir Katz <\/p>\n

(Photo: Dani Shem Tov)<\/p>\n

Milwidsky was interrogated on Friday by the Lahav 433 serious crimes unit for about five hours. He was questioned over allegations that he raped a woman in a hotel room and later pressured her to give false testimony, allegedly while serving as legal counsel for the Kabbalah La\u2019Am nonprofit organization. Milwidsky denied all charges and claimed the complaint was politically motivated.<\/p>\n

Before the vote, leaders of Yesh Atid, National Unity, and the Democrats\u2014Merav Ben Ari, Pnina Tamano-Shata, and Efrat Rayten\u2014issued a joint statement condemning the appointment. \u201cAppointing a rape suspect to a senior role in the Knesset undermines not only the dignity of this institution and public trust, but above all deals a critical blow to the fight against sexual violence,\u201d said Tamano-Shata.<\/p>\n

Ben Ari added: \u201cThe automatic rallying of the coalition\u2014led by Likud\u2014around a rape suspect is disgraceful. And they\u2019re not alone. They\u2019re supported by the ultra-Orthodox parties, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism\u2014those who claim to fear God. Anyone who votes to appoint a rape suspect is complicit, just like those who knew and stayed silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rayten called the vote \u201ca shameful, dangerous moment that will go down in the history books of this coalition. From cigars to \u2018sex crimes are nothing.\u2019 The Knesset should be a beacon for Israeli society. This is another brick in the wall of crumbling public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benny Gantz, chair of National Unity, asked: \u201cHave we lost our minds? What message is the coalition sending to sexual assault survivors today? Is there not one righteous person left in Likud or this coalition who will stand up and say: Enough?\u201d<\/p>\n

The police are also considering summoning another woman who never filed a formal complaint but claimed Milwidsky tried to sexually assault her more than a decade ago. She alleged that while working with the Kabbalah organization, he physically grabbed and attempted to assault her in her home.<\/p>\n

Likud, meanwhile, has stood firmly behind Milwidsky. A party statement claimed the investigation was \u201cpolitically motivated\u201d and accused Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of launching \u201cwild and baseless investigations\u201d against coalition members. \u201cThis is a political witch hunt designed to undermine the elected government.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a highly contentious move, the Knesset House Committee on Tuesday approved the appointment of Likud lawmaker Hanoch…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":104383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[99,50],"class_list":{"0":"post-104382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-israel","9":"tag-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114941350743573574","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}