Nissan Slomiansky
Nissan SlomianskyHezki Baruch

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit decided on Sunday to close the case against MK Nissan Slomiansky (Jewish Home), who had been accused of sexual harassment and indecent assault.

The Justice Ministry said in a statement that "after the Attorney General examined all the evidence and opinions presented to him, from which it was seen that there would be evidentiary difficulty in proving the alleged incidents...he decided to order the closure of the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence."

MK Slomiansky said in response, "I welcome the Attorney General's decision and respect the examination that was carried out by law enforcement agencies."

Earlier this year, a number of women appeared before prominent religious Zionist rabbis and claimed that Slomiansky had harassed them. However, none of the eight women who complained about the MK were willing to cooperate with the investigators or to appear in court if required.

Slomiansky said when he learned of the allegations, "I found out from different people that they received information from respectable women who heard from other women that they were hurt by me. I am pained and am very sorry about that. I never intended to hurt any man or woman, and if any woman was insulted, hurt or felt uncomfortable because of my behavior, I apologize and I would apologize to her face, from the bottom of my heart, if I knew who she was."

"I am known in many communities as a man who is always willing to help, at every hour of the day, and as a warm and heartfelt man, and as is accepted in Israeli politics, I give hugs and shake hands or hold an elbow, without any sexual, romantic or harmful intention," he said.