The Tzohar Rabbonim organization has recently called for a police investigation into the Haifa Religious Council Marriage Unit, alleging fraud and intentional falsifying of official state records.

According to Tzohar, persons in the religious council regularly enter false data into the files of couples applying to wed who come from Tzohar in an effort to complicate their case. Tzohar maintains this is part of the ongoing turf war between the religious councils and their organization.

One of the rabbonim in Tzohar noticed that there appears to be a trend, that couples registering with the Haifa Religious Council encounter serious complications. Tzohar reports that such “complications” include being recorded to be a mamzer, being a widow or divorcee or not able to prove ones Jewishness and being unfit for marriage. After this was noticed Tzohar began checking files and found the alleged wrongdoing by the Haifa council involves over 100 marriages.

Based on the information presented, Israel Police has launched an investigation and at least one employee of the religious council has already been questioned by police ‘under warning’ as the probe continues.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)