The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment Monday at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court against Udi Ayalon (48) of Tel Aviv, charging him with extortion through threats, intimidation, harassment, and additional offenses against a media personality.
According to the indictment filed by Attorney Ariel Gatnio of the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, Ayalon and the media personality initially had a business relationship in which he was responsible for producing paid lectures on her behalf. That professional connection later developed into a friendship.
Approximately two years into the relationship, dissatisfied with the amount of attention he was receiving from her, he began sending WhatsApp messages threatening to damage her livelihood and reputation. In response, the media personality refused to continue meeting with him and sought to terminate both their business and personal relationship.
Ayalon then launched an extortion campaign, sending additional threatening messages, posting on social media, and even appearing at her workplace on multiple occasions. He threatened to meet with the CEO of the news company where she works and with her colleagues, saying he would expose details about her in an effort to force her to resume contact with him.
Among the messages he sent: "You've ended your career. I'll go very far!! I'm in pretty good contact with very senior people at your workplace"; "I'm going to be cruel on a level you never dreamed of"; "I can't live without you..."; "All this is nothing compared to the revenge burning in me to take revenge on you for being stubborn and unwilling to open a new page..."
