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Head of Israel's Mission in Morocco Accused of Human Trafficking, Corruption

A photo posted by David Govrin on his Twitter page.
A photo posted by David Govrin on his Twitter page.
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Head of Israel's Mission in Morocco Accused of Human Trafficking, Corruption

A photo posted by David Govrin on his Twitter page.
A photo posted by David Govrin on his Twitter page.

Israel summoned its ambassador to Morocco, David Govrin, over allegations of sexual harassment and corruption, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

Last week, the Israeli Foreign Ministry launched an investigation into severe misconduct suspicions within the Israeli diplomatic mission to Morocco, including human trafficking, mysterious work relations in the office, financial and administrative problems, and sexual allegations.

The investigation focused on the behavior of Govrin, the former ambassador to Egypt.

A delegation of senior officials, including the Office's Inspector General Hagay Behar, was rushed to the office in Morocco last week.

He investigated allegations "about the sexual exploitation of local women" and complaints of sexual harassment within the mission.

The Foreign Ministry is also investigating the involvement of a local businessman, Sami Cohen, in hosting official events for senior Israeli officials.

Cohen held a reception for Prime Minister Yair Lapid, ministers Ayelet Shaked and Gideon Saar and initiated meetings between them and local officials, even though he was not officially affiliated with the mission.

The team was also investigating a reported feud between Govrin and the mission's security officer.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Makan) warned that if these allegations were proven true, they might lead to a serious diplomatic incident between Israel and Morocco.

Govrin returned to Morocco after interrogation at the Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv. He was questioned about the abuse of influence within the mission and the financial management of the Liaison Office.

Investigations revealed that many employees used their diplomatic advantages to obtain financial benefits and arranged deals between Israeli and Moroccan companies outside established channels.

The mission's office witnessed a series of resignations and dismissals due to "financial scandals" and "abuse of office" among Israeli employees seeking donations from the Jewish community and funds from the authorities in Morocco.

Israeli media reported that Govrin's mission as head of the Liaison Office in Rabat is "over."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry is expected to release the investigation results in the coming days, after coming under pressure from the Israeli press and public.

Morocco became the third Arab country to normalize relations with Israel, under agreements brokered by the United States in 2020.

Govrin, 58, is a high-ranking official and diplomat. He has worked in the Foreign Ministry since 1989, speaks fluent Arabic, and served as Israel's ambassador to Egypt from 2016 until 2020.

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Lebanon’s Crisis-Battered Healthcare System Now Prepares for a Wider War with Israel, Minister Says

Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad, attends an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Lebanon August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad, attends an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Lebanon August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Lebanon’s Crisis-Battered Healthcare System Now Prepares for a Wider War with Israel, Minister Says

Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad, attends an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Lebanon August 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad, attends an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Lebanon August 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Lebanon’s crisis-battered healthcare system is now preparing for the possibility of a devastating wider conflict with Israel, the country’s health minister told The Associated Press in an interview Monday.

Israel's military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group have traded strikes since the current war in Gaza began, but tensions have escalated since an Israeli strike in a Beirut suburb killed a top Hezbollah commander last month. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate.

Lebanon’s caretaker government, amid diplomatic maneuvering for de-escalation, is trying to prepare for the worst with a tattered budget, a deeply divided parliament and no president.

"The Lebanese health system had to adjust to multiple crises," caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad said. Healthcare facilities cut costs by keeping inventory at a minimum, leaving little backup for emergencies, he said. Now inventory has been built up to four months' worth of critical supplies.

"We hope that all the efforts we are doing for preparing for this emergency go to waste" and a wider war is averted, Abiad said. "The best thing that we want is for all of this to turn out to be unnecessary."

Inside Gaza, the health system has been decimated. Abiad said Lebanese health authorities take the possibility of hospitals being targeted in a wider conflict "very seriously."

Already, he said, almost two dozen paramedics and healthcare workers in southern Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes. They include paramedics from medical groups affiliated with Hezbollah and allied groups that have filled the gaps in areas with limited state services.

Israeli strikes have hit deeper into Lebanon in recent weeks, and sonic booms from military jets rattle Beirut. Much of the border region is in rubble.

The Mediterranean country’s health sector was once renowned as one of the best in the region. But Lebanon has faced compounding crises since 2019, including a fiscal one that followed decades of corruption and mismanagement. Other challenges include the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Beirut Port explosion that damaged or destroyed key healthcare infrastructure and dwindling international aid to help Lebanon host more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

Lebanese hospitals in 2021 were at breaking point, barely able to keep the lights on and short on medicines.

Abiad said the health sector has shown resilience before, and he hopes it will again.

"During the (port) blast, the system was able to absorb an excess of 6,000 casualties in a matter of 12 hours," he said. "There is, I would say, a determination within our healthcare system to provide the needed care to all the people who require it."

But resilience might not be enough for the troubled country and its 6 million people. The financial crisis has left government agencies beholden to humanitarian organizations for cash injections and supplies.

Last week, the health ministry received 32 tons of emergency medical aid from the World Health Organization. But UN agencies and other humanitarian groups have had to reallocate funds from existing work to provide aid to about 100,00 people who have fled southern Lebanon since the current war in Gaza began.

Abiad said some issues are out of the ministry’s control, including securing fuel for electricity and petrol for ambulances, as well as supporting the almost 800,000 UN-registered Syrian refugees in the country.

Healthcare resources are not sufficient for refugees in particular, Abiad said: "The international community really has to pull its weight and chip in with this particular issue."