The global Me Too movement came into the world in 2017, not long after former Israeli President Shimon Peres left it. Five years after the death of this statesman and Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 93, the continuously spreading shockwaves generated by the movement crashed into his memory. In recent days, Peres’ name has become the focus of a Me Too scandal resonating throughout Israel, with reactions corresponding to political inclinations: Right-wing supporters attacking Peres and his legacy like prospectors chancing upon a nugget of gold, while most of those on the left, including Peres fans, are hanging their heads in an embarrassed silence.
Some reports emerging in recent days link Peres, one of the best-known Israelis on the world stage, with behavior that could be construed as sexual harassment. Allegations of sexual impropriety are carving deep cracks in the Peres legacy, which dates back to the birth of the state and spans the establishment of Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona, constant efforts to fortify Israel’s power in a hostile environment, the pullout from Lebanon, the eradication of triple-digit inflation, the Oslo agreements and the peace process with the Palestinians. This cloud will not dissipate so easily.
