Beit She’an Police Officer Faces Charges for Sexual Conduct Against Two Colleagues

Roni Oved, a police officer at the Beit She’an station, was charged with an indecent act and sexual harassment on Monday. The Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Department, known by its Hebrew acronym Mahash, filed the indictment in the Nof Hagalil Magistrate’s Court. The charges involve two separate female colleagues during patrol shifts.

The first count covers an overnight patrol in April 2025. Oved was serving as shift leader alongside a new officer. During the shift, he stopped their vehicle in a grove near Beit She’an. Prosecutors state he began making sexual comments about her body. The officer ignored the comments. The pair then drove to a nearby lookout point.

At the lookout, Oved claimed he had studied massage. He began massaging the officer’s back without her consent. The indictment notes that she froze during the contact. Oved then asked her to remove her uniform belt. She refused. He continued to touch her hands and legs. The charges state he touched her genital area over her clothing. The officer used her hands to shield herself from further contact.

Oved drove the vehicle to another lookout point. He continued asking about her sex life and describing sexual acts. After leaving the vehicle, he pressed himself against her from behind. He embraced her and kissed her neck. The officer moved his hands away and returned to the patrol car. She asked him to drive back to the station. This incident results in charges of an indecent act without consent and sexual harassment.

The second count concerns repeated incidents between August and October 2023. Oved drove another officer to isolated areas during shared patrols. He asked detailed questions about her sexual preferences and habits. He also described his own sexual habits. The officer asked him to stop or declined to engage. These actions form the basis for repeated acts of sexual harassment.

Mahash investigates suspected criminal offenses by police officers. The department’s structure is currently the subject of a legal and political dispute. In June, the Knesset passed a law to remove the department from the State Attorney’s Office. The new law establishes Mahash as a separate body within the Justice Ministry. It grants the department its own investigative and prosecutorial powers and a new appointments mechanism.

Supporters of the change argue the previous arrangement created a conflict of interest. Likud MK Moshe Saada, the law’s sponsor, stated that the prosecution works closely with police on criminal cases while overseeing the body that investigates officers. He said separation would strengthen police accountability and independence.

Opponents warn the new structure could expose police investigations to political influence. State Attorney Amit Aisman argued that tying appointments and authority more closely to political officials could undermine independence. He said this could affect investigators and prosecutors in sensitive cases.

In September, the High Court of Justice issued an interim order. The order froze specified provisions of the law, including its appointments arrangements. The court did not strike down the law or decide its constitutionality. The petitions continue to proceed in the court system.