JERUSALEM — An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tendered his resignation following allegations of sexual assault.

David Keyes, Netanyahu's spokesman with the foreign press, formally resigned on Wednesday, nearly three months after taking a leave of absence after he was accused of sexual assault by at least a dozen women, including then-New York state Senate candidate Julia Salazar. In November, she was elected. Keyes denied her allegations.

She attracted widespread attention during her campaign as part of a new insurgent wave of self-described democratic socialists trying to topple establishment Democrats.

Keyes issued a statement saying he had "decided to pursue new opportunities in the private sector."

Keyes has denied the assault accusations, saying all were "deeply misleading and many of them are categorically false."

Israel's Civil Service Commission closed an investigation into the allegations last month without taking any disciplinary action against Keyes.

Netanyahu thanked Keyes in a statement "for his great contribution to Israel's information effort."