It did not take long for Rabbi Shlomo Benizri to stop at the Har Nof home of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita after being released from Matityahu Prison today, Thursday, 7 Adar 5772. Benizri was released early due to overcrowding after serving two years on fraud and breach of trust conviction relating to his former ministerial status.
When Benizri stopped at the home of the gadol hador for a bracha, he explained that former President Moshe Katsav, who is also serving a sentence in the Torah wing, feels very isolated. Unlike Benizri who was serving time for white collar crimes, the former president was convicted of violent assaults. Benizri was Katsav’s roommate, and he was doing a great deal regarding the former president’s mental status, with the latter receiving a chizuk from Benizri who was already accustomed to his prison realities.
Apparently Katsav does not have too many family visits and he is feeling the isolation of his new life’s realities. Benizri explained that a sefer given by the rav has great significance for Katsav in prison and Kikar Shabbat reports the former minister requested that the rav send Katsav additional seforim.
It is reported the rav received Benizri very warmly, showering him with brochos and good wishes.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
In Israel, politics is criminalized. If you can’t beat your opponent with convincing arguments and logic, just send him to jail on some trumped-up charge. Witnesses can be bought relatively cheaply.
WOW just because a person’s first name is rabbi , it says nothing of their honesty
Deepthinker
is that name your pick , or given to you by others