Israeli envoy to Morocco rejects allegations of sexual misconduct

Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories – AFP

The Israeli ambassador to Morocco has dismissed the recent accusations against himself as “a smear campaign”. The ambassador had been recalled last week due to alleged sexual misconduct.

A letter from the lawyer representing ambassador David Govrin said the diplomat had been targeted by “a despicable and self-interested party, seeking to harm the ambassador”.

The letter charged that the security chief at the Israeli mission to Rabat — which opened after the countries restored full ties in 2020 — was seeking “revenge” against Govrin, who was trying to fire the individual over alleged personal use of an embassy vehicle.

The security chief was waging “a false, degrading and abusive smear campaign” against Govrin, it said.

“All the defamatory allegations of the security officer concerning the ambassador are fantasies,” the letter continued.

According to the Israeli media, the envoy faces allegations of exploiting Moroccan women, sexual harassment and indulgence in obscene activities.

There are also claims of embezzlement and the apparent disappearance of a gift from the Moroccan monarch to celebrate the anniversary of Israel’s creation in 1948.

The allegations triggered protests on Friday outside Morocco’s parliament against the kingdom’s normalisation of ties with Israel.

Morocco had cut ties with Israel in 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. However, in 2020, following the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Morocco formalized ties with Israel.

Normalization with Israel is not only immensely unpopular among the Moroccan public, it has also been considered a ‘stab in the back’ by Palestinians.