26 june 2012
Rabbi who called for slaughter of a million Palestinians is to supervise Israel’s ‘Red Cross’
A notoriously racist rabbi who once called on Israel to slaughter a million Palestinian civilians has been appointed to head a supervisory committee for Magen David Adom (MDA) – Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Haaretz reported that under pressure from ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups MDA decided to set up a rabbinical committee to dictate religious guidelines – including gender relations – for volunteers in the rescue service.
The committee is headed by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Safad, whose salary is paid by the Israeli government.
Eliyahu has a long, well-documented history of extreme racism and has called for violence against Palestinians.
Since 2006, Magen David Adom – whose name means Red Star of David – has been a full member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and is Israel’s internationally recognized agency for disaster management, ambulance service and blood banks.
The organization also raises tax-exempt donations in the United States through the American Friends of Magen David Adom.
‘Kill a million’
The work of the ICRC is based on the Geneva Conventions of 1949, their Additional Protocols, its Statutes – and those of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and armed violence. It takes action in response to emergencies and at the same time promotes respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation in national law.
What could be more contrary to that mission than Israel’s MDA appointing Shmuel Eliyahu who not only defends and advocates mass, indiscriminate violence against civilians, but is a racist par excellence?
It should be recalled that there was a years long campaign by Israel and Zionist organizations to get MDA accepted into the ICRC. If MDA does not completely dissociate itself from, and condemn racist inciters like Eliyahu, perhaps it should be expelled.
Moreover, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society should review any cooperation with MDA.
Haaretz reported that under pressure from ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups MDA decided to set up a rabbinical committee to dictate religious guidelines – including gender relations – for volunteers in the rescue service.
The committee is headed by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Safad, whose salary is paid by the Israeli government.
Eliyahu has a long, well-documented history of extreme racism and has called for violence against Palestinians.
Since 2006, Magen David Adom – whose name means Red Star of David – has been a full member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and is Israel’s internationally recognized agency for disaster management, ambulance service and blood banks.
The organization also raises tax-exempt donations in the United States through the American Friends of Magen David Adom.
‘Kill a million’
- In 2007, Eliyahu advocated mass slaughter of Palestinians in order to deter rocket fire from Gaza, while defending a ruling by his late father that Israel was permitted to indiscriminately kill civilians. “If they don’t stop after we kill 100, then we must kill a thousand,” Shmuel Eliyahu advised, adding, “And if they do not stop after 1,000 then we must kill 10,000. If they still don’t stop we must kill 100,000, even a million. Whatever it takes to make them stop.”
- Eliyahu has stated that the “seducing” of Jewish girls was “another form of war” by Arab men.
- In 2010, Eliyahu and other state-employed rabbis issued a ruling telling Jews not to sell or rent property to members of the country’s Palestinian Arab minority, who make up a fifth of the population.
- Eliyahu has led efforts to prevent Arab students from living in Safad, stating, “When a non-Jew moves in, residents begin to worry about their children, about their daughters. Many Arab students have been known to date Jewish girls.”
- Eliyahu has publicly denigrated Arabs and Muslims, stating, “whenever I’m interviewed I ask the interviewer if they would want an Arab to live in their neighborhood.”
The work of the ICRC is based on the Geneva Conventions of 1949, their Additional Protocols, its Statutes – and those of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – and the resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and armed violence. It takes action in response to emergencies and at the same time promotes respect for international humanitarian law and its implementation in national law.
What could be more contrary to that mission than Israel’s MDA appointing Shmuel Eliyahu who not only defends and advocates mass, indiscriminate violence against civilians, but is a racist par excellence?
It should be recalled that there was a years long campaign by Israel and Zionist organizations to get MDA accepted into the ICRC. If MDA does not completely dissociate itself from, and condemn racist inciters like Eliyahu, perhaps it should be expelled.
Moreover, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society should review any cooperation with MDA.
25 may 2012
No indictment against King's Torah authors
Rabbi Yosef Elitzur
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein closes criminal case against authors, supporters of controversial book 'due to lack of sufficient evidence as required in criminal law'.
Nearly a year after police launched an investigation into the publication of the King's Torah, a book that stated that it was permissible to kill non-Jews when their presence in Israel endangers Jews, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein decided to close the criminal case against the authors and its supporters "due to lack of sufficient evidence as required in criminal law."
The attorney general ruled that it was impossible to determine that the publication of the book was done with the intent of inciting to racism as the law demands.
Weinstein stressed that when the matter involves the publication of a halachic ruling or halachic books, and out of consideration for the principle of religious freedom, criminal proceedings must be avoided when possible.
Yet the attorney general also stated that it was "obvious that the decision to close (the case) was not in any way an expression of acceptance for the serious statements presented in the book. The opposite is true, the statements are, according to the attorney general, deserving of condemnation and denunciation."
The book stirred controversy for stating that it is permissible to kill a non-Jew if his presence endangers Jewish life. Some rabbis within the religious community supported the statements while others hinted that the statements were dangerous.
Police launched an investigation into the matter and authors Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira and Rabbi Yosef Elitzur were investigated over suspected incitement to violence and racism.
Other rabbis investigated in connection with the affair included Rabbi Dov Lior, Yitzhak Ginsberg and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef who expressed their support for the book.
Over the last two months the State Prosecutor's Office examined whether there was room to indict the book's authors, something which could create a major furor within the Zionist-religious community.
The prosecutor's office was of the opinion that indictment would be problematic as it is hard to prove that the authors intended to act with violence, and in a case like this, intent must be proven.
The decision is within Weinstein's purview and so the case will now be closed.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein closes criminal case against authors, supporters of controversial book 'due to lack of sufficient evidence as required in criminal law'.
Nearly a year after police launched an investigation into the publication of the King's Torah, a book that stated that it was permissible to kill non-Jews when their presence in Israel endangers Jews, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein decided to close the criminal case against the authors and its supporters "due to lack of sufficient evidence as required in criminal law."
The attorney general ruled that it was impossible to determine that the publication of the book was done with the intent of inciting to racism as the law demands.
Weinstein stressed that when the matter involves the publication of a halachic ruling or halachic books, and out of consideration for the principle of religious freedom, criminal proceedings must be avoided when possible.
Yet the attorney general also stated that it was "obvious that the decision to close (the case) was not in any way an expression of acceptance for the serious statements presented in the book. The opposite is true, the statements are, according to the attorney general, deserving of condemnation and denunciation."
The book stirred controversy for stating that it is permissible to kill a non-Jew if his presence endangers Jewish life. Some rabbis within the religious community supported the statements while others hinted that the statements were dangerous.
Police launched an investigation into the matter and authors Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira and Rabbi Yosef Elitzur were investigated over suspected incitement to violence and racism.
Other rabbis investigated in connection with the affair included Rabbi Dov Lior, Yitzhak Ginsberg and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef who expressed their support for the book.
Over the last two months the State Prosecutor's Office examined whether there was room to indict the book's authors, something which could create a major furor within the Zionist-religious community.
The prosecutor's office was of the opinion that indictment would be problematic as it is hard to prove that the authors intended to act with violence, and in a case like this, intent must be proven.
The decision is within Weinstein's purview and so the case will now be closed.
1 mar 2012
An Israeli rabbi has been charged with repeated sexual assault on students in a girls’ school in a city north of Tel Aviv where he used to work as principal.
Rabbi Yigal Krispel, 47, was arrested last week after two former students at a school for Haredi (Orthodox Jewish) girls filed complaints against him saying he had sexually assaulted them.
The Kfar Saba Magistrate's Court has extended the remand of the Netanya rabbi, who has also been accused of raping a young teacher.
The family of the 20-year-old teacher complained that Krispel had abused his power to have sexual relations with her.
Israeli authorities said the prominent Netanya figure was now suspected of indecent acts, sodomy, sexual misconduct, nonconsensual sex and rape, involving both minor and adult victims.
Despite the rabbi’s denial, Judge Miri Ben Ari said the evidence yielded reasonable suspicion and sufficient grounds for arrest.
Some details of the affair surfaced last year when a Netanya resident who helps Haredi girls filed a police complaint based on what the girls told her of the abuse.
Israeli police, however, decided to arrest her for impersonating a psychologist and later dismissed one of the cases.
Rabbi Yigal Krispel, 47, was arrested last week after two former students at a school for Haredi (Orthodox Jewish) girls filed complaints against him saying he had sexually assaulted them.
The Kfar Saba Magistrate's Court has extended the remand of the Netanya rabbi, who has also been accused of raping a young teacher.
The family of the 20-year-old teacher complained that Krispel had abused his power to have sexual relations with her.
Israeli authorities said the prominent Netanya figure was now suspected of indecent acts, sodomy, sexual misconduct, nonconsensual sex and rape, involving both minor and adult victims.
Despite the rabbi’s denial, Judge Miri Ben Ari said the evidence yielded reasonable suspicion and sufficient grounds for arrest.
Some details of the affair surfaced last year when a Netanya resident who helps Haredi girls filed a police complaint based on what the girls told her of the abuse.
Israeli police, however, decided to arrest her for impersonating a psychologist and later dismissed one of the cases.
18 feb 2012
A Tel Aviv city councilman is appealing to the state to allocate separate buses for African refugees and migrant workers, according to an article published on Mynet on Thursday
Last week, Tel Aviv City Councilman Binyamin Babayoff (Shas) sent a letter to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, Minister of Transportation Israel Katz, and Dr. Moshe Tiomkin, a Tel Aviv councilman and the head of the city’s Transportation, Traffic and Parking Authority.
In an excerpt published by Mynet (local online Hebrew news affiliated with Ynet), Babayoff wrote that “illegal foreign workers fill the buses…” leaving no room for Jewish Israeli residents of South Tel Aviv. He added that “foreign workers… give off a bad smell and they might, God forbid, cause all kinds of diseases.”
Reminding of Jim Crow laws, Babayoff proposes that the state introduce separate buses for migrant workers and refugees or limit their access to buses during peak hours of heavy traffic, thus giving preference to Jewish Israeli residents.
Speaking to Mynet, Babayoff claimed that his proposal was not racist. He said that Jewish Israelis in South Tel Aviv “live a life of hell” because of the foreigners in the neighborhood. He added that his letter was a response to the appeals of “scared” residents.
In a comment to Mynet, the Tel Aviv Municipality condemned Babayoff’s proposal and called it “racist,” adding that it is committed to “caring for immigrant workers and their basic health needs, education, and welfare…”
(Though they’re not migrant workers, homeless African refugees might beg to differ with the city’s statement).
After Babayoff embarked on a campaign against migrant workers and refugees in the summer of 2010—calling on South Tel Aviv landlords not to rent to these “infiltrators” and claiming that doing so violates Jewish religious law--25 area rabbis signed an “Edict Forbidding the Rental of Apartments to Infiltrators.” Shortly thereafter, 10 South Tel Aviv real estate agents signed a petition stating they would not rent to illegal residents.
Later that year, hundreds of Israeli rabbis across the country signed a religious edict forbidding the rental or sale of property to Palestinian citizens of the state.
In 2010, Babayoff also participated in a campaign against opening a new kindergarten in the South Tel Aviv neighborhood of Kiryat Shalom. While the school was planned to accommodate migrant workers’ and refugees’ children, it would also provide education to Jewish Israeli students.
In addition to his issues with non-Jews, Babayoff has also publicly voiced homophobic sentiments, referring to Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Parade as a “shame parade.”
Last week, Tel Aviv City Councilman Binyamin Babayoff (Shas) sent a letter to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, Minister of Transportation Israel Katz, and Dr. Moshe Tiomkin, a Tel Aviv councilman and the head of the city’s Transportation, Traffic and Parking Authority.
In an excerpt published by Mynet (local online Hebrew news affiliated with Ynet), Babayoff wrote that “illegal foreign workers fill the buses…” leaving no room for Jewish Israeli residents of South Tel Aviv. He added that “foreign workers… give off a bad smell and they might, God forbid, cause all kinds of diseases.”
Reminding of Jim Crow laws, Babayoff proposes that the state introduce separate buses for migrant workers and refugees or limit their access to buses during peak hours of heavy traffic, thus giving preference to Jewish Israeli residents.
Speaking to Mynet, Babayoff claimed that his proposal was not racist. He said that Jewish Israelis in South Tel Aviv “live a life of hell” because of the foreigners in the neighborhood. He added that his letter was a response to the appeals of “scared” residents.
In a comment to Mynet, the Tel Aviv Municipality condemned Babayoff’s proposal and called it “racist,” adding that it is committed to “caring for immigrant workers and their basic health needs, education, and welfare…”
(Though they’re not migrant workers, homeless African refugees might beg to differ with the city’s statement).
After Babayoff embarked on a campaign against migrant workers and refugees in the summer of 2010—calling on South Tel Aviv landlords not to rent to these “infiltrators” and claiming that doing so violates Jewish religious law--25 area rabbis signed an “Edict Forbidding the Rental of Apartments to Infiltrators.” Shortly thereafter, 10 South Tel Aviv real estate agents signed a petition stating they would not rent to illegal residents.
Later that year, hundreds of Israeli rabbis across the country signed a religious edict forbidding the rental or sale of property to Palestinian citizens of the state.
In 2010, Babayoff also participated in a campaign against opening a new kindergarten in the South Tel Aviv neighborhood of Kiryat Shalom. While the school was planned to accommodate migrant workers’ and refugees’ children, it would also provide education to Jewish Israeli students.
In addition to his issues with non-Jews, Babayoff has also publicly voiced homophobic sentiments, referring to Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Parade as a “shame parade.”
9 feb 2012
A well-known Jewish rabbi has called for reoccupying the Gaza Strip and the nearby Egyptian city of El-Arish, claiming that they were part of Greater Israel.
A Hebrew website quoted rabbi Shamuel Shapira on Wednesday as saying that Gaza and Arish were part of Israel and there is no doubt about it, adding that Gaza was mentioned in the Holy Book many times as part of the Toratic borders of Israel.
He said that all the southern coastal strip of land stretching till Arish were part of Israel which also expands to include the Sinai Peninsula and the Euphrates River.
A Hebrew website quoted rabbi Shamuel Shapira on Wednesday as saying that Gaza and Arish were part of Israel and there is no doubt about it, adding that Gaza was mentioned in the Holy Book many times as part of the Toratic borders of Israel.
He said that all the southern coastal strip of land stretching till Arish were part of Israel which also expands to include the Sinai Peninsula and the Euphrates River.
7 feb 2012
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv 101 years old
Unofficially, is the paramount leader of the Lithuanian-Haredi community, both in Israel and abroad, regarded by many as the contemporary leading halakhic authority.
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, one of the most revered figures in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, is reportedly in critical condition after suffering from organ failure.
Elyashiv, who is nearly 102 years old, was admitted to the intensive care unit in Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center on Monday after first being hospitalized on Sunday. Elyashiv underwent coronary artery bypass surgery several months ago.
Prayer sessions for the rabbi's recovery were held in all of Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods on Monday. The leaders of the Lithuanian-Haredi community halted all study sessions and called on their students to join the prayers. Ultra-Orthodox radio stations are broadcasting news of the rabbi's condition continuously.
Senior rabbis, ultra-Orthodox Knesset members from United Torah Judaism, and many of the rabbi's followers visited the hospital on Monday to await news of his condition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism ) to ask about Elyashiv's condition.
Unofficially, is the paramount leader of the Lithuanian-Haredi community, both in Israel and abroad, regarded by many as the contemporary leading halakhic authority.
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, one of the most revered figures in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, is reportedly in critical condition after suffering from organ failure.
Elyashiv, who is nearly 102 years old, was admitted to the intensive care unit in Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center on Monday after first being hospitalized on Sunday. Elyashiv underwent coronary artery bypass surgery several months ago.
Prayer sessions for the rabbi's recovery were held in all of Israel's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods on Monday. The leaders of the Lithuanian-Haredi community halted all study sessions and called on their students to join the prayers. Ultra-Orthodox radio stations are broadcasting news of the rabbi's condition continuously.
Senior rabbis, ultra-Orthodox Knesset members from United Torah Judaism, and many of the rabbi's followers visited the hospital on Monday to await news of his condition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism ) to ask about Elyashiv's condition.
Unofficially, Elyashiv is the paramount leader of the Lithuanian-Haredi community, both in Israel and abroad. Many Ashkenazi Jews regard him as the contemporary leading halakhic authority.
Elyashiv makes all major halakhic decisions and decides on issues such as who is considered a Jew and questions of organ donations. By endorsing certain nominees, the rabbi also determines who the ultra-Orthodox community will support for appointments to top positions such as Jerusalem mayor and the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel.
Elyashiv makes all major halakhic decisions and decides on issues such as who is considered a Jew and questions of organ donations. By endorsing certain nominees, the rabbi also determines who the ultra-Orthodox community will support for appointments to top positions such as Jerusalem mayor and the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel.
22 jan 2012
Rabbi David Yosef has gone underground following article published last week about a 'first-degree relative' of Shas spiritual leader divulging information about high ranking Shas members to state comptroller.
On most Saturdays, Rabbi David Yosef, who is the son of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the chief rabbi of Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood, pays a visit to his father's synagogue, where he says his Sabbath prayers. This week, however, he did not.
Following an article published late last week about a "first-degree relative" of the spiritual leader who transferred information about Shas' highest ranking members and almost all of the members of the Yosef clan to the state comptroller, Rabbi David went underground, and it is unclear when he will resurface.
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem's Givat Moshe neighborhood, tends not to visit his father very often. Years ago, Rabbi Ovadia cast him out of his house because of his independent ways. Today, however, he is expected to visit his father and request his blessing on two matters. The first, for his son, who became engaged last night. The second, for himself. Rabbi Yaakov, who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness and is set to begin a series of complex medical treatments this week, is in need of heavenly mercy.
At the age of 91, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is watching his family fall apart in front of his eyes: one son is in mortal danger, while another is suspected by relatives of embroiling his siblings in a huge scandal that allegedly verges on the criminal. Instead of closing ranks around the sick older brother, the Yosefs are being torn to pieces, and no one can say if the shock waves will spread beyond the family circle.
This latest scandal is not helping party leader Eli Yishai, nor is it a boon to Aryeh Deri, who is breathing down Yishai's neck. On Saturday, Shas people were talking about the return of divisive politics, accelerated by the scandal in the Yosef family.
According to a report published on Friday in Yediot Aharonot, an unnamed member of the Yosef clan gave MK Eitan Cabel (Labor) a document describing "attempts by Shas leaders to take control of the rabbinical system in Israel through improper methods bordering on the criminal." The document describes attempts by Shas to get a string of its people appointed to key offices - including Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, another of Rabbi Ovadiah's sons, to the office of chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Benjamin Atias, the brother of Housing Minister Ariel Atias, to lead the Petach Tikvah rabbinate, Yaakov Chikotai, who is married to Rabbi Ovadia's daughter, as head rabbi of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut and others.
The impact of the scandal will depend to an extent on the state comptroller, who must decide whether or not to open an investigation into the appointments or even freeze them. But even if no investigation is opened, by the comptroller or any other organization, the details already made public have stirred up a political and familial storm.
Whoever is responsible for leaking the details of the scandal, the son that stands to lose the most is Moshe, Rabbi Ovadia's youngest son, who is considered one of Shas' strongmen and wields decisive influence inside the Rabbi's court. But the real loser in the story if Rabbi Ovadia, whose pet project in recent years – appointing rabbis and rabbinical judges, especially relatives, who will interpret Jewish law according to his own views – is now in danger.
Rabbi David Yosef, who heads the Kollel "Yichveh Daat," was immediately suspected as the source of the leak. He was the only son who opposed the candidacy of Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef for the office of Jerusalem's chief Sephardic rabbi – an appointment which is a top priority for Religious Affairs Minister Yaakov Margi, also from Shas – and he is the only brother who desires the title for himself.
Upon his return from a trip abroad on Friday, Rabbi David denied a large and substantial portion of the details published in the newspaper report. In conversations with confidants, he claimed he was framed, that he never wrote any such document and that he never met with MK Cabel. Rabbi David will have a difficult time proving that a third party was responsible for the document, and that he had nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, last week, unity momentarily prevailed when both Eli Yishai and Aryeh Deri, each on his own, tried to prevent the publication of the expose in Yediot Aharonot. The two rivals both have something to lose from the story's publication.
Rabbi David Yosef is a close friend of Deri's, and the affair threatens to stain his name as an informer. Deri could be dragged into the line of fire, and fears that the relationship that he has worked hard to build over the last year with the younger son, Rabbi Moshe Yosef, will go down the drain. A year ago, a harsh confrontation erupted between David Yosef and Rabbi Ovadia's personal secretary, who claimed he was avoiding the house. In his defense, David claimed he was avoiding the house because of his close relationship with Deri, and that he was ordered to do so by his younger brother Moshe.
Yishai, for his part, is watching Shas come undone. His conflict with Housing Minister Atias reached new heights recently, and will require him to perform complex political maneuvers. Is it a coincidence that Atias and Deri held a long conversation on Saturday on their way out of Rabbi Ovadia's synagogue?
No less important: one of the important tasks placed on Yishai's shoulders, that of appointing members of the Yosef clan to rabbinical posts, could be drifting further away from him. As interior minister, Yishai is personally involved in the appointment of rabbis, and pressures mayors into consenting to appointments desired by Shas. Meanwhile, Yishai is still waiting for the publication of the state comptroller's report of the Carmel Forest fire, and he recently managed to get into trouble about making controversial statements about the failures of the Second Lebanon War, which he claimed were caused by IDF soldiers' lack of religious observance.
On most Saturdays, Rabbi David Yosef, who is the son of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the chief rabbi of Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood, pays a visit to his father's synagogue, where he says his Sabbath prayers. This week, however, he did not.
Following an article published late last week about a "first-degree relative" of the spiritual leader who transferred information about Shas' highest ranking members and almost all of the members of the Yosef clan to the state comptroller, Rabbi David went underground, and it is unclear when he will resurface.
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem's Givat Moshe neighborhood, tends not to visit his father very often. Years ago, Rabbi Ovadia cast him out of his house because of his independent ways. Today, however, he is expected to visit his father and request his blessing on two matters. The first, for his son, who became engaged last night. The second, for himself. Rabbi Yaakov, who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness and is set to begin a series of complex medical treatments this week, is in need of heavenly mercy.
At the age of 91, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is watching his family fall apart in front of his eyes: one son is in mortal danger, while another is suspected by relatives of embroiling his siblings in a huge scandal that allegedly verges on the criminal. Instead of closing ranks around the sick older brother, the Yosefs are being torn to pieces, and no one can say if the shock waves will spread beyond the family circle.
This latest scandal is not helping party leader Eli Yishai, nor is it a boon to Aryeh Deri, who is breathing down Yishai's neck. On Saturday, Shas people were talking about the return of divisive politics, accelerated by the scandal in the Yosef family.
According to a report published on Friday in Yediot Aharonot, an unnamed member of the Yosef clan gave MK Eitan Cabel (Labor) a document describing "attempts by Shas leaders to take control of the rabbinical system in Israel through improper methods bordering on the criminal." The document describes attempts by Shas to get a string of its people appointed to key offices - including Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, another of Rabbi Ovadiah's sons, to the office of chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Benjamin Atias, the brother of Housing Minister Ariel Atias, to lead the Petach Tikvah rabbinate, Yaakov Chikotai, who is married to Rabbi Ovadia's daughter, as head rabbi of Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut and others.
The impact of the scandal will depend to an extent on the state comptroller, who must decide whether or not to open an investigation into the appointments or even freeze them. But even if no investigation is opened, by the comptroller or any other organization, the details already made public have stirred up a political and familial storm.
Whoever is responsible for leaking the details of the scandal, the son that stands to lose the most is Moshe, Rabbi Ovadia's youngest son, who is considered one of Shas' strongmen and wields decisive influence inside the Rabbi's court. But the real loser in the story if Rabbi Ovadia, whose pet project in recent years – appointing rabbis and rabbinical judges, especially relatives, who will interpret Jewish law according to his own views – is now in danger.
Rabbi David Yosef, who heads the Kollel "Yichveh Daat," was immediately suspected as the source of the leak. He was the only son who opposed the candidacy of Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef for the office of Jerusalem's chief Sephardic rabbi – an appointment which is a top priority for Religious Affairs Minister Yaakov Margi, also from Shas – and he is the only brother who desires the title for himself.
Upon his return from a trip abroad on Friday, Rabbi David denied a large and substantial portion of the details published in the newspaper report. In conversations with confidants, he claimed he was framed, that he never wrote any such document and that he never met with MK Cabel. Rabbi David will have a difficult time proving that a third party was responsible for the document, and that he had nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, last week, unity momentarily prevailed when both Eli Yishai and Aryeh Deri, each on his own, tried to prevent the publication of the expose in Yediot Aharonot. The two rivals both have something to lose from the story's publication.
Rabbi David Yosef is a close friend of Deri's, and the affair threatens to stain his name as an informer. Deri could be dragged into the line of fire, and fears that the relationship that he has worked hard to build over the last year with the younger son, Rabbi Moshe Yosef, will go down the drain. A year ago, a harsh confrontation erupted between David Yosef and Rabbi Ovadia's personal secretary, who claimed he was avoiding the house. In his defense, David claimed he was avoiding the house because of his close relationship with Deri, and that he was ordered to do so by his younger brother Moshe.
Yishai, for his part, is watching Shas come undone. His conflict with Housing Minister Atias reached new heights recently, and will require him to perform complex political maneuvers. Is it a coincidence that Atias and Deri held a long conversation on Saturday on their way out of Rabbi Ovadia's synagogue?
No less important: one of the important tasks placed on Yishai's shoulders, that of appointing members of the Yosef clan to rabbinical posts, could be drifting further away from him. As interior minister, Yishai is personally involved in the appointment of rabbis, and pressures mayors into consenting to appointments desired by Shas. Meanwhile, Yishai is still waiting for the publication of the state comptroller's report of the Carmel Forest fire, and he recently managed to get into trouble about making controversial statements about the failures of the Second Lebanon War, which he claimed were caused by IDF soldiers' lack of religious observance.
14 jan 2012
Brothers molest kid sister for years, after rabbi advises parents against involving police, telling them such abuse is common.
The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment this week against two brothers who molested their younger sister, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
The abuse continued for years after a rabbi advised the parents against involving to the police, saying that such incidents "happen in many families."
The girl,14, was only 10 years old when her older brothers began sexually assaulting her. The eldest brother, 20, used to rape his sister regularly, while the younger of the two, 19, touched her inappropriately.
When the parents discovered the horrifying abuse they consulted their rabbi, who advised them to deal with the issue at home.
The parents claimed the rabbi told them they shouldn’t "make a big deal of it" because it is a common occurrence. The family kept the episodes secret for two years; meanwhile, the abuse continued.
The case was uncovered when the minor told her psychologist about what her siblings had done. The therapist then informed the police.
The older brother has been charged with rape, indecent acts and sodomy, while the younger one has been charged with indecent acts and attempted rape.
"The accusations filed by the prosecution don't reflect the truth," the defendants' attorneys, Yehuda Fried and Tal Gabay, said. "In any case, our clients chose many years ago to pursue a path of rehabilitation and treatment, and we believe that the court will choose this path as well."
The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment this week against two brothers who molested their younger sister, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
The abuse continued for years after a rabbi advised the parents against involving to the police, saying that such incidents "happen in many families."
The girl,14, was only 10 years old when her older brothers began sexually assaulting her. The eldest brother, 20, used to rape his sister regularly, while the younger of the two, 19, touched her inappropriately.
When the parents discovered the horrifying abuse they consulted their rabbi, who advised them to deal with the issue at home.
The parents claimed the rabbi told them they shouldn’t "make a big deal of it" because it is a common occurrence. The family kept the episodes secret for two years; meanwhile, the abuse continued.
The case was uncovered when the minor told her psychologist about what her siblings had done. The therapist then informed the police.
The older brother has been charged with rape, indecent acts and sodomy, while the younger one has been charged with indecent acts and attempted rape.
"The accusations filed by the prosecution don't reflect the truth," the defendants' attorneys, Yehuda Fried and Tal Gabay, said. "In any case, our clients chose many years ago to pursue a path of rehabilitation and treatment, and we believe that the court will choose this path as well."
11 jan 2012
Rabbi Lieutenant-Colonel Moshe Raved
A top Israeli military rabbi resigned on Tuesday after making comments that appeared to condone allowing ultra-Orthodox troops to avoid contact with women, which stirred debate over the sway of religion in Israel.
The ultra-Orthodox make up some 10 percent of Israel's population and the secular majority often chafes at their welfare benefits and electoral clout.
Secular Jews have complained about the spread of ascetic practices such as sexually-segregated buses. Anger boiled over last month after an 8-year-old girl complained of being spat on by men who deemed her dress immodest.
The ultra-Orthodox are routinely exempted from conscription, but a small number, in the low thousands, have been persuaded to volunteer for the armed forces.
To accommodate devout troops, the military had quietly excused some from attending mandatory functions when women were present. When the practice drew attention, chief of staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz announced on Army Radio that full attendance would be enforced.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moshe Ravad, chief air force chaplain, who was in charge of enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews, said last week he feared for the volunteers' "piety." His comments, leaked to the media, were widely interpreted as a rejection of the orders requiring soldiers to attend mixed-sex events.
In an online newsletter, the military said Ravad "apologised for the way in which his view was made public in recent days" and tendered his early resignation to the air force commander, who reprimanded the rabbi for his conduct.
A top Israeli military rabbi resigned on Tuesday after making comments that appeared to condone allowing ultra-Orthodox troops to avoid contact with women, which stirred debate over the sway of religion in Israel.
The ultra-Orthodox make up some 10 percent of Israel's population and the secular majority often chafes at their welfare benefits and electoral clout.
Secular Jews have complained about the spread of ascetic practices such as sexually-segregated buses. Anger boiled over last month after an 8-year-old girl complained of being spat on by men who deemed her dress immodest.
The ultra-Orthodox are routinely exempted from conscription, but a small number, in the low thousands, have been persuaded to volunteer for the armed forces.
To accommodate devout troops, the military had quietly excused some from attending mandatory functions when women were present. When the practice drew attention, chief of staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz announced on Army Radio that full attendance would be enforced.
Lieutenant-Colonel Moshe Ravad, chief air force chaplain, who was in charge of enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews, said last week he feared for the volunteers' "piety." His comments, leaked to the media, were widely interpreted as a rejection of the orders requiring soldiers to attend mixed-sex events.
In an online newsletter, the military said Ravad "apologised for the way in which his view was made public in recent days" and tendered his early resignation to the air force commander, who reprimanded the rabbi for his conduct.
8 jan 2012
Ashdod Rabbi Yosef Scheinen stirs row during official police ceremony by saying that women are unfit to command as this is a 'masculine role'.
Ashdod Rabbi Yosef Scheinen has apparently not heard of Major-General Orna Barbivai, late Deputy Inspector General Ahuva Tomer and the Israel Air Force's five new female pilots and navigators – otherwise it would be difficult to explain his remarks on womanhood.
The rabbi stirred a row Tuesday during a change of command ceremony at the city's police station, when he said that women cannot be in charge of a police station as this was a "masculine role".
After the ceremony he explained, "God created women gentle."
During his speech at the official ceremony, Rabbi Scheinen noted that "there has been a lot of talk about the exclusion of women, but I haven't seen any woman in Ashdod appointed as a police station commander, as this is a masculine role which women are unable to fill."
The remarks sent waves through the audience, which was comprised of distinguished city officials and police officers, including quite a few women.
Southern District Police Commander Yossi Pariente responded to the rabbi's statement in his own speech. "I would like to say to the honorable rabbi that there are many women in the police force, and I wish to see a woman appointed station commander during my term."
'God created women gentle'
Rabbi Scheinen said after the ceremony that he had a lot of respect for women and had no intention of hurting them, but stuck to his opinion that they are unfit to command.
"I have been living in Ashdod for 28 years, and a woman has never been appointed commander of a police station. And when I asked myself why, I think it's not a suitable role for women. It's not that there's something wrong with them, but a commander must be somewhat tough, while God created women gentle."
The rabbi explained that Judaism had a great amount of respect for women. "It's not that we disrespect women," he said. "There is quite a lot of proof of that in the Bible and rabbinic literature.
"The fact that a woman marks her bat mitzvah at the age of 12 and a man at the age of 13 shows that women are wiser than men, and are therefore ahead of them on this matter."
Rabbi Scheinen went on to address the incident in which Tanya Rosenblit refused to move to the back of a segregated bus traveling from Ashdod to Jerusalem. According to the rabbi, the secular passenger arrived from a different neighborhood in order to spite.
"She intentionally got on the bus in an act of provocation and incitement," he said, adding that "nonetheless, seculars and haredim live in complete harmony in this city."
A female officer serving in the Lakhish District said after the ceremony, "It's a shame that such remarks were heard in such a ceremony."
She added that "in the past, women did serve as station commander. Unfortunately, this has yet to happen in the Lakhish District, but it definitely could happen."
Ashdod Rabbi Yosef Scheinen has apparently not heard of Major-General Orna Barbivai, late Deputy Inspector General Ahuva Tomer and the Israel Air Force's five new female pilots and navigators – otherwise it would be difficult to explain his remarks on womanhood.
The rabbi stirred a row Tuesday during a change of command ceremony at the city's police station, when he said that women cannot be in charge of a police station as this was a "masculine role".
After the ceremony he explained, "God created women gentle."
During his speech at the official ceremony, Rabbi Scheinen noted that "there has been a lot of talk about the exclusion of women, but I haven't seen any woman in Ashdod appointed as a police station commander, as this is a masculine role which women are unable to fill."
The remarks sent waves through the audience, which was comprised of distinguished city officials and police officers, including quite a few women.
Southern District Police Commander Yossi Pariente responded to the rabbi's statement in his own speech. "I would like to say to the honorable rabbi that there are many women in the police force, and I wish to see a woman appointed station commander during my term."
'God created women gentle'
Rabbi Scheinen said after the ceremony that he had a lot of respect for women and had no intention of hurting them, but stuck to his opinion that they are unfit to command.
"I have been living in Ashdod for 28 years, and a woman has never been appointed commander of a police station. And when I asked myself why, I think it's not a suitable role for women. It's not that there's something wrong with them, but a commander must be somewhat tough, while God created women gentle."
The rabbi explained that Judaism had a great amount of respect for women. "It's not that we disrespect women," he said. "There is quite a lot of proof of that in the Bible and rabbinic literature.
"The fact that a woman marks her bat mitzvah at the age of 12 and a man at the age of 13 shows that women are wiser than men, and are therefore ahead of them on this matter."
Rabbi Scheinen went on to address the incident in which Tanya Rosenblit refused to move to the back of a segregated bus traveling from Ashdod to Jerusalem. According to the rabbi, the secular passenger arrived from a different neighborhood in order to spite.
"She intentionally got on the bus in an act of provocation and incitement," he said, adding that "nonetheless, seculars and haredim live in complete harmony in this city."
A female officer serving in the Lakhish District said after the ceremony, "It's a shame that such remarks were heard in such a ceremony."
She added that "in the past, women did serve as station commander. Unfortunately, this has yet to happen in the Lakhish District, but it definitely could happen."
4 jan 2012
Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim (center) of Long Branch arrives at federal court in Trenton Wednesday before being sentenced in a money-laundering case
The tale told Wednesday in federal court seemed like a tale of two different men.
One was a trusted rabbi, a pillar of his community and a wise and caring counselor, while the other was an experienced criminal at the center of an international money-laundering operation.
Both descriptions seemed to fit Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim, the 60-year-old Long Branch resident who was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for admitting he laundered more than $1.5 million for family friend Solomon Dwek. He already has forfeited more than $700,000 in funds to the government.
For completing the money-laundering transactions, Ben Haim received about $150,000, according to government documents.
“We have two sides of Mr. Ben Haim,” said U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano, sitting in Trenton, before imposing the sentence. “What he is being sentenced for is obviously not what he preached about.”
The judge could have imposed an even stiffer sentence of more than six years in prison. But he said the rabbi deserved credit for all the good works he has done in his community.
Community members, family and friends submitted 180 letters to the court on behalf of Ben Haim, describing acts of kindness that included his allowing recovering drug addicts to live at his home, and using his own money to pay for weddings and other expenses for those in need.
Pisano said many of the letters seemed to imply that Ben Haim had gotten into trouble because he was trying to help Dwek.
“Nonsense,” the judge proclaimed, and “That’s nonsense,” after reading from portions of two letters that claimed Ben Haim had been duped by Dwek.
Pisano said “underground banking systems” like that operated by Ben Haim cannot be allowed to exist because such operations are used to hide illegal activities.
“The community bears some of the responsibility, too, because everyone in this room knows they exist, and it’s got to stop,” Pisano said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Nakly described Ben Haim as a cunning criminal who used religious charities he controlled to launder money.
“This was not a one-time offense,” said Nakly, who noted that Ben Haim can be heard on a surveillance tape stating that in one year he had earned $1 million in “commissions” from his money-laundering activities. “This was a repeated course of criminal conduct.”
Ben Haim used his position as a respected religious leader in the community to further his criminal activities, Nakly said.
She pointed out that in three years Ben Haim had taken $1 million from the charities he controlled for his own personal use, an amount that Ben Haim’s lawyer, Lawrence S. Lustberg, said was a salary the rabbi took after not taking any salary from the charities for many years.
Ben Haim began laundering money for Dwek in October 2006 and completed 35 different transactions before Ben Haim was arrested in July 2009.
Ben Haim, who has taken a leave of absence from his position as principal rabbi at Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, pleaded guilty to a money-laundering conspiracy charge in June 2010.
Before the judge imposed his sentence, Ben Haim asked for mercy, noting that his incarceration will be difficult for his wife, five children and 24 grandchildren.
Ben Haim’s wife and children, along with dozens of members of his Orthodox Jewish community, looked on as the rabbi read carefully from prepared notes, his voice often choked with emotion as he told the court of the “tremendous remorse” he had.
He said his actions have caused shame for his family and have blemished the reputation of his father and grandfather.
Ben Haim’s father, Haham Baruch Ben Haim, who died in 2005, was a respected rabbi and scholar who led Congregation Ohel Yaacob for 55 years.
“I am tormented each day that passes with this thought, that my desire to help someone overcame my better judgment,” Ben Haim said.
Pisano seemed skeptical of Ben Haim’s statement.
“I’m surprised that you would tell me that your purpose in this was enterprise was to help someone. That’s nonsense,” the judge said.
46 arrests from sting
Ben Haim was arrested in July 2009 as part of a massive government sting operation that focused on money-laundering and political corruption. Forty-six people, including five rabbis, three assemblymen and various politicians, were arrested.
According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Ben Haim admitted that beginning in October 2006, he met with Dwek and agreed to launder and conceal Dwek’s money through an underground money-laundering network that already existed.
Ben Haim charged a fee of approximately 10 percent for the transactions. Ben Haim also admitted that Dwek had told him the money came from illegal activities, including bank and bankruptcy fraud, as well as a business Dwek claimed to operate that made knock-off designer handbags.
To conceal the source of the money, Ben Haim told Dwek to make the checks payable to several charitable organizations the rabbi operated.
Once he received the checks from Dwek, Ben Haim deposited them into the organizations’ bank accounts and then wired the proceeds to a co-conspirator in Israel known only as “I.M.” in government documents. Or, at I.M.’s direction, Ben Haim would wire the money to bank accounts held by other individuals and corporations in various foreign countries, including Israel, Turkey, China, Switzerland and Argentina, U.S Attorney Paul J. Fishman has said.
I.M. then would make cash available through an underground money transfer network, including at cash houses operated by three Brooklyn men: Yeshaye Ehrental, Schumel Cohen and Akiva Aryeh Weiss.
Ehrental, Cohen and Weiss pleaded guilty in April 2010 to transmitting up to $1.8 million to Ben Haim and Dwek.
The government said in court documents that it has more than 100 recordings of Ben Haim’s meetings with Dwek, who wore a microphone and a tiny video camera during his work as a government informant.
Ben Haim met with Dwek and conducted money-laundering transactions at his Long Branch home, at Congregation Ohel Yaacob, and in his car at various locations in Deal and Long Branch, according to government documents.
Ben Haim, who must surrender to the government on Feb. 15 if he chooses not to appeal, was also sentenced to three years’ supervised parole upon his release from prison.
Lustberg, Ben Haim’s lawyer, said he and his client have not yet decided whether to appeal the sentence.
5-year prison term for US rabbi in corruption case
A once-prominent New Jersey rabbi who pleaded guilty in the state's largest corruption case has been sentenced to a five-year prison term.
Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim last year admitted using his network of religious charities to conceal more than $1 million in illegal proceeds for a government informant.
The 60-year-old Long Branch resident is the former leader of the synagogue Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of New York City.
The tale told Wednesday in federal court seemed like a tale of two different men.
One was a trusted rabbi, a pillar of his community and a wise and caring counselor, while the other was an experienced criminal at the center of an international money-laundering operation.
Both descriptions seemed to fit Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim, the 60-year-old Long Branch resident who was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for admitting he laundered more than $1.5 million for family friend Solomon Dwek. He already has forfeited more than $700,000 in funds to the government.
For completing the money-laundering transactions, Ben Haim received about $150,000, according to government documents.
“We have two sides of Mr. Ben Haim,” said U.S. District Court Judge Joel A. Pisano, sitting in Trenton, before imposing the sentence. “What he is being sentenced for is obviously not what he preached about.”
The judge could have imposed an even stiffer sentence of more than six years in prison. But he said the rabbi deserved credit for all the good works he has done in his community.
Community members, family and friends submitted 180 letters to the court on behalf of Ben Haim, describing acts of kindness that included his allowing recovering drug addicts to live at his home, and using his own money to pay for weddings and other expenses for those in need.
Pisano said many of the letters seemed to imply that Ben Haim had gotten into trouble because he was trying to help Dwek.
“Nonsense,” the judge proclaimed, and “That’s nonsense,” after reading from portions of two letters that claimed Ben Haim had been duped by Dwek.
Pisano said “underground banking systems” like that operated by Ben Haim cannot be allowed to exist because such operations are used to hide illegal activities.
“The community bears some of the responsibility, too, because everyone in this room knows they exist, and it’s got to stop,” Pisano said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Nakly described Ben Haim as a cunning criminal who used religious charities he controlled to launder money.
“This was not a one-time offense,” said Nakly, who noted that Ben Haim can be heard on a surveillance tape stating that in one year he had earned $1 million in “commissions” from his money-laundering activities. “This was a repeated course of criminal conduct.”
Ben Haim used his position as a respected religious leader in the community to further his criminal activities, Nakly said.
She pointed out that in three years Ben Haim had taken $1 million from the charities he controlled for his own personal use, an amount that Ben Haim’s lawyer, Lawrence S. Lustberg, said was a salary the rabbi took after not taking any salary from the charities for many years.
Ben Haim began laundering money for Dwek in October 2006 and completed 35 different transactions before Ben Haim was arrested in July 2009.
Ben Haim, who has taken a leave of absence from his position as principal rabbi at Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, pleaded guilty to a money-laundering conspiracy charge in June 2010.
Before the judge imposed his sentence, Ben Haim asked for mercy, noting that his incarceration will be difficult for his wife, five children and 24 grandchildren.
Ben Haim’s wife and children, along with dozens of members of his Orthodox Jewish community, looked on as the rabbi read carefully from prepared notes, his voice often choked with emotion as he told the court of the “tremendous remorse” he had.
He said his actions have caused shame for his family and have blemished the reputation of his father and grandfather.
Ben Haim’s father, Haham Baruch Ben Haim, who died in 2005, was a respected rabbi and scholar who led Congregation Ohel Yaacob for 55 years.
“I am tormented each day that passes with this thought, that my desire to help someone overcame my better judgment,” Ben Haim said.
Pisano seemed skeptical of Ben Haim’s statement.
“I’m surprised that you would tell me that your purpose in this was enterprise was to help someone. That’s nonsense,” the judge said.
46 arrests from sting
Ben Haim was arrested in July 2009 as part of a massive government sting operation that focused on money-laundering and political corruption. Forty-six people, including five rabbis, three assemblymen and various politicians, were arrested.
According to court documents and statements made in federal court, Ben Haim admitted that beginning in October 2006, he met with Dwek and agreed to launder and conceal Dwek’s money through an underground money-laundering network that already existed.
Ben Haim charged a fee of approximately 10 percent for the transactions. Ben Haim also admitted that Dwek had told him the money came from illegal activities, including bank and bankruptcy fraud, as well as a business Dwek claimed to operate that made knock-off designer handbags.
To conceal the source of the money, Ben Haim told Dwek to make the checks payable to several charitable organizations the rabbi operated.
Once he received the checks from Dwek, Ben Haim deposited them into the organizations’ bank accounts and then wired the proceeds to a co-conspirator in Israel known only as “I.M.” in government documents. Or, at I.M.’s direction, Ben Haim would wire the money to bank accounts held by other individuals and corporations in various foreign countries, including Israel, Turkey, China, Switzerland and Argentina, U.S Attorney Paul J. Fishman has said.
I.M. then would make cash available through an underground money transfer network, including at cash houses operated by three Brooklyn men: Yeshaye Ehrental, Schumel Cohen and Akiva Aryeh Weiss.
Ehrental, Cohen and Weiss pleaded guilty in April 2010 to transmitting up to $1.8 million to Ben Haim and Dwek.
The government said in court documents that it has more than 100 recordings of Ben Haim’s meetings with Dwek, who wore a microphone and a tiny video camera during his work as a government informant.
Ben Haim met with Dwek and conducted money-laundering transactions at his Long Branch home, at Congregation Ohel Yaacob, and in his car at various locations in Deal and Long Branch, according to government documents.
Ben Haim, who must surrender to the government on Feb. 15 if he chooses not to appeal, was also sentenced to three years’ supervised parole upon his release from prison.
Lustberg, Ben Haim’s lawyer, said he and his client have not yet decided whether to appeal the sentence.
5-year prison term for US rabbi in corruption case
A once-prominent New Jersey rabbi who pleaded guilty in the state's largest corruption case has been sentenced to a five-year prison term.
Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim last year admitted using his network of religious charities to conceal more than $1 million in illegal proceeds for a government informant.
The 60-year-old Long Branch resident is the former leader of the synagogue Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of New York City.
3 jan 2012
Former chief rabbi suspected of authorizing forged religious education certificates for some 2,000 police officers, soldiers who received pay raises as a result.
The State Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday it was considering filing an indictment against former Chief Sephardic Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron over his alleged involvement in falsely obtaining government funds – pending a hearing.
The case in question involves security forces personnel who received forged religious education certificates.
Some 2,000 police officers, soldiers and cadets attended various religious colleges for a number of hours a week but were granted diplomas for completing five years of studies. The certificates enabled the individuals to receive pay raises from the State.
'I didn’t know the numbers'
The salary increases ranged from NIS 2,000 ($530) to 4,000 (about $1,050). The scam cost the State hundreds of millions of shekels before it was exposed.
In 2007 the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against more than 10 rabbis who were allegedly involved in issuing the fake certificates.
Rabbi Bakshi-Doron, who was interrogated in the affair and was not charged for lack of evidence, testified in May 2010 regarding his part in the affair. By the end of the hearing the prosecution motioned to submit his testimony as evidence due to a gap between his police statement and his testimony in court.
During his police interrogation, Bakshi-Doron maintained he had no part in the affair and that his right-hand man Rabbi Yitzhak Ohana was the one who ordered the certificates. However, testifying in court the rabbi gave a slightly different version.
Attorney Erez Padan of the prosecution said that according to Rabbi Ohana's testimony Bakshi-Doron had instructed the former to compile a list of institutes attended by the security figures in order to issue them higher religious education certificates.
The attorney noted that Bakshi-Doron was the one who ordered which institutes were to be included. The rabbi then responded, "I didn’t know the numbers. I told Rabbi Ohana to seal the deal. I only thought it was a matter of another 100 students and not the extent I later learned about."
Investigators, who reopened the investigation against Bakshi-Doron in light of the new evidence, suspect he also instructed Ohana to ignore the criteria according to which higher religious education certificates are issued.
According to the investigation, Rabbi Bakshi-Doron authorized the illegal operation to avoid a confrontation with those who sponsored and managed the religious colleges attended by security personnel.
The State Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday it was considering filing an indictment against former Chief Sephardic Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron over his alleged involvement in falsely obtaining government funds – pending a hearing.
The case in question involves security forces personnel who received forged religious education certificates.
Some 2,000 police officers, soldiers and cadets attended various religious colleges for a number of hours a week but were granted diplomas for completing five years of studies. The certificates enabled the individuals to receive pay raises from the State.
'I didn’t know the numbers'
The salary increases ranged from NIS 2,000 ($530) to 4,000 (about $1,050). The scam cost the State hundreds of millions of shekels before it was exposed.
In 2007 the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against more than 10 rabbis who were allegedly involved in issuing the fake certificates.
Rabbi Bakshi-Doron, who was interrogated in the affair and was not charged for lack of evidence, testified in May 2010 regarding his part in the affair. By the end of the hearing the prosecution motioned to submit his testimony as evidence due to a gap between his police statement and his testimony in court.
During his police interrogation, Bakshi-Doron maintained he had no part in the affair and that his right-hand man Rabbi Yitzhak Ohana was the one who ordered the certificates. However, testifying in court the rabbi gave a slightly different version.
Attorney Erez Padan of the prosecution said that according to Rabbi Ohana's testimony Bakshi-Doron had instructed the former to compile a list of institutes attended by the security figures in order to issue them higher religious education certificates.
The attorney noted that Bakshi-Doron was the one who ordered which institutes were to be included. The rabbi then responded, "I didn’t know the numbers. I told Rabbi Ohana to seal the deal. I only thought it was a matter of another 100 students and not the extent I later learned about."
Investigators, who reopened the investigation against Bakshi-Doron in light of the new evidence, suspect he also instructed Ohana to ignore the criteria according to which higher religious education certificates are issued.
According to the investigation, Rabbi Bakshi-Doron authorized the illegal operation to avoid a confrontation with those who sponsored and managed the religious colleges attended by security personnel.
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