Top Israeli official resigns over sexual harassment claims
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A top official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is resigning amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said in a statement Sunday that he is stepping down. He has denied the allegations.
Israel's attorney general has ordered police to investigate after at least seven women said Shalom sexually harassed them.
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Shalom is one of Israel's best-known politicians. He previously served as foreign minister and finance minister, and is married to a wealthy socialite from an influential Israeli family.
Shalom is the latest Israeli politician accused of sexual misconduct. The police anti-fraud chief is under investigation and another lawmaker in Netanyahu's governing coalition resigned last month, both amid similar allegations. Former Israeli president Moshe Katzav is serving a prison sentence for rape.