Deputy Mayor of Rishon Lezion Released to House Arrest Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

The Deputy Mayor of Rishon Lezion, suspected of sodomy and indecent acts against a municipal secretary, was released to two days of house arrest on Monday after five days in custody. The court also imposed a 30-day ban on his presence at the municipality and prohibited contact with the complainant or other involved parties. The hearing took place at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court, where his lawyers, Nir Zano and Shlomzion Gabay Mendelman, opposed house arrest and requested full release, arguing the detention was devastating for him and his family and that the alleged incident occurred over five years ago.

Yesterday, a confrontation occurred between the deputy mayor and the complainant. The allegations involve two separate sexual offenses that reportedly happened more than a year ago. Defense attorneys Nir Zano and Israel Klein claimed the incident was consensual between two adults, with the deputy mayor stating both parties were intoxicated and the event lasted only seconds. The complainant, however, denied giving consent.

The defense further argued the complaint was retaliatory, stemming from conflicts with municipal employees under the deputy mayor's supervision, whom he had instructed to comply with fingerprint-based attendance regulations. Recently, anonymous messages alleging sexual misconduct against the secretary circulated in municipal employee WhatsApp groups. Two weeks ago, the deputy mayor filed a police complaint in Rishon Lezion alleging attempts to blackmail him, which is now under investigation by the Central District Police fraud unit.

The court agreed to hold the hearing behind closed doors and extended a gag order on the suspect's identity until further notice.