Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom (Likud) will retire from politics, he announced Sunday night, following a series of sexual harassment complaints filed against him. None of the women have filed a formal complaint with police, and an investigation has not been opened; despite this, Silvan has apparently chosen to step down. "For 23 years, I have served with dedication and belief in the public as an MK and minister in different agencies, with a sense of mission and a desire to promote the most important social and public causes," Shalom stated. "I am disgusted with the suffering that has been endured by my family - my wife, my children and my mother," he continued. "My family fully supports me, but there is no justification for the price they are being asked to pay." "In these circumstances I have decided to resign my duties as minister and member of the Knesset," he announced. With Silvan's resignation, the next-in-line on the Likud list will likely be appointed: Attorney Amir Ohana, #32 on the Likud primaries list.
