The Central District Prosecutor's Office will decide soon whether to summon El Al airline Rabbi Yohanan Hayout to stand trial on charges of sexual assault. Police at Ben-Gurion International Airport are investigating the rabbi on suspicions that he sexually assaulted and harassed an employee at the airport. The investigation began after police received information that implicated Hayout in alleged sexual assault against a female employee. While the employee was initially hesitant to file a complaint against the rabbi, she was persuaded to do so by associates. The employee told investigators that the rabbi hugged and kissed her on a number of occasions against her will, and even "fondled her. Following her complaint, police summoned the rabbi for questioning. Investigators said he summarily denied the charges against him. When police questioned Hayout under caution, Hayout claimed that his actions had been uncontrolled, attributing his behavior to diabetes, from which he suffers. El Al's corporate office responded Monday that the company was waiting for the police investigation to end. "The rabbi is a very special person without so much as a stain on his character," sources close to the rabbi told Israel Hayom. "He speaks matter-of-factly to every man and woman. He suffers from diabetes and lost 10 kilograms, and in this situation he lost his balance, fainted and fell. This is unequivocally not a case of anything sexual. All the senior rabbis in Israel know and respect him. He is far removed from any such thing. There are people in the company who are jealous of him, and they have interests in fanning the flames like this." According to police, the case will be transferred to the Prosecutor's Office after the rabbi "tied himself to the incident." The Prosecutor's Office is expected to hold a hearing but has not yet reached a decision.
