Authorities are signaling that the arrest of a number of Eida-affiliated askanim in Yerushalayim on Sunday morning is not the end, but the beginning of the case which involves tax evasion and money laundering to the tune of millions of new Israeli shekels. Officials announce with confidence that additional arrests are to be expected.
Five of the six suspects taken into custody during the predawn hours on Sunday are Yerushalayim residents, members of the chareidi community, notables among the Eida Chareidit tzibur.
Police and tax authorities have been conducting an undercover investigation for a number of months, leading to the arrests. They focused on the operation of the Eida’s Vaad Artzi tzedaka organization office on Rappaport Street in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood adjacent to Meah Shearim. This office began operating in 2000. Investigators report the tzedaka had an annual turnover of tens millions of shekels annually in tzedaka funds collected in and out of Israel in the form of cash and monthly ‘horat keva’ bank-ordered deposits. The office operated with about ten employees, and the funds were supposed to assist those in need, including orphans and young couples seeking to acquire a home. They used the names of prominent rabbonim to enlist funds.
The money from the Vaad Artzi was initially deposited in the Meah Shearim branch of Mercantile Bank, and of late the money was moved to a Poalei Agudas Yisrael bank in Bnei Brak. That branch was used for the alleged illegal activities authorities report.
Allegations against the suspects include paying salaries without reporting to tax authorities to the tune of hundreds of thousands of shekels annually, tax evasion amounting to millions, and money laundering between Israel and the United States, and possible other countries.
Investigators also allege two of the suspects involved used some of the tzedaka funds for their own personal use.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Scary!
Having read these comments of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, as well as the comments of Maran HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Dovid Grossman Shlita over these past few days, one cannot but help realize what wise & loving sages these 2 individuals are, who simply love the B’nai Yisroel.
Very far removed from the other end of the spectrum, with william leib from St. Mary calling for his wild cohorts to shake the world. Whom does he think he is?? Not so long ago, these gaavads from Eidah haredis were calling upon their followers to be wild and destructive and attack & set fires, and some even went so far as to destroy traffic lights, so that the Yerushalmi tax payer could foot the bill of their destructive path.
Clearly, none of us know the resume/curricilum nor the itinerary of this gabbai, and whether he pilfered any money or assets, and if he did, he should serve whatever time an Israeli court would mete out to a Chiloni for this same crime, but not a moment longer; Just as Rubashkin should not be serving a moment longer than anyone else who sent money to incorrect bank accounts, which I believe is somewhere in the range of 3-4 years from what I have read over the years in the Jewish & legal newspapers/journals, but certainly not 27; and just as Jonatahn Pollard should not be serving a moment longer than any other spy of similar caliber, which also seems to be in the range of 2-3 years, but certainly not life without parole, nor even 30 years to life.
But these gaavad leaders and their followers are going to have to buckle down, and realize they don’t run the world nor even the Orthodox Jewish people, just like their buddies “naturei karta” absolutely do not represent the Jewish people.
Fortunately, we orthodox Jewish people have been blessed with leaders of the caliber of Maran HaGaon HaRav Rav Avigdor Miller ZTKLLH’H, Maran HaGaon HaRav Shimon Schwab ZTKLLH’H, Maran HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Halberstam ZTKLLH’H and now his younger son Maran HaGaon HaRav Ben-Zion Halberstam Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Yisroel haLevi Reisman Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Paisach Krohn Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Mattisyohu Chaim Solomon Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Berel Wein Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Jonathan Rietti Shlita :- Each & everyone of them, a true Ohev Yisroel and peace seeking leader, absolutely non-confrontational;
May we continue to embrace peace & Ahavas Chinom amongst we Jewish people thru to Bayis Shelishi, whilst the st. mary’s can enjoy the same fate as their war monger Arab colleagues, who will see their 2 mosques on the Har haBayis, flattened to a pancake & rise as smoke out of a furnace as we recite in the 3rd blessing of Amidah on R’H & Y’K, and haShem’s Dominion shall reign supreme on the entire universe!!
147
Well said.
Many chasuva Rabbanim and Manhiggim were overlooked in your 5th paragraph who advocate SHALOM AL YISRAEL and encourage AHAVAS HABRIOS.
Huh? since when does AHAVAS YISROEL mean ” hate to charedim and love to chilonim”?
Fight fire with fire
Boycott all products with Badatz hechsher.
Then sit back and wait
Its very odd that just in middle a fight between the frum community. Its occurs this arrests. Its smell of continuation of a fight. Not about enforcing laws
@147 Your picks of gedolim shows your confusion. If any more needs to be said then let me add that your information is plain old lies and distortions. The Eida never calls for violence! And if you don’t mind let me let me make you aware of what R Avigdor Miller ZTL replied to the question of what our reaction should be to the arrest of two bachrim for burning down an adult shop in Yerushalayim. His response, THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO KNOW IS THAT THEY ARE HEROES!