Israel Police is investigating Holon Chief Rabbi Avraham Yosef for alleged criminal activity, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reports in an exclusive story.
According to the report, Rav Yosef, a son of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita and a candidate to become the next Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel, fired a mashgiach for working against Shas in an election.
Police reportedly have a recording in which Rabbi Yosef says “You are looking to give my father a beating? Where do you get the chutzpah? The Gadol Hador stands before us and you are telling stories? I prohibit this!”
In the continuation of the recording Rav Avraham Yosef tells the employee that he is fired. “As of yesterday, you are unemployed. Go look for work by your father. He will provide you with a livelihood. Good bye and all the best”.
A labor court ruled in this matter four years ago, finding the rav acted inappropriately, demanding compensatory payment for the mashgiach. Police opened an investigation at the time, but it was abandoned soon thereafter.
Now, ahead of the Chief Rabbinate race, police appear to be gathering information as that case is being reopened. Galei Tzahal adds a person involved in the investigation has confirmed the facts of the story as they are presented, adding the matter is being handled by the department’s Fraud Division. Police declined comment on the actual case, the ongoing investigation, or if there are other suspicions against the rav at this time.
Rav Avraham Yosef preferred not to comment.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
im passionate about rav eliyahu for chief rabbi of israel
It seems that the state and the justice system are highly motivated to sully everything that is good and holy. While protecting all the forces that are corrupt and powerful. Nue we never expected any better from these people they are indeed the scum of the earth.
The jackbooted police are a bunch of street thugs seeking to undermine rabbonim by their constant and repeated harrasment of various rabbonim they wish to undermine, especially those seeking office in the rabbunut.
It becoming that rabbi and fraud abuse of power are one.
I know that sadly to many once a person gets labeled are holy they can do no wrong and will be held in great esteem even after a long stay in jail.
How the religion has fallen over the last generation
Why wait so long before bringing this matter to court? It couldn’t be a cheap anti Rabbi Yosef trick just prior to elections for a contested post. That would be just too obvious.
Why is this criminal? The court ruled it inapropriate behaviour!
Doesn’t it seem strange that a four year old casse is suddenly brought up at eletion time. Is there no statute of Limitations and/or due process in the State of Israel.
The policegetting involved in politics reeks of eastern european justice of prior centuries.
peakman, right on. Whether one is a Gadol or a simple Jew, both are not immune from causing trouble. Just like we count a simple Jew, 1 as a minyan, we count the Gadol, 1 as a minyan.
Number 7 does it seem strange; no not in Eretz Yisrael where you have rishoim running the government. They let the arabs walk and bash heads of the charedi. The Satmar Rebbe T’zal, it is a treife medina.
# 4 # 8 – What on earth are u talking about?? I think u should check your yichus!! Someone is mevazeh a gadol hador (besides for the fact that its who he was officialy working for so he’s also a traitor) The mashgiach should be put in prison! Where’s our pride and defence for our rabanim and gedolei hador?? And who wouldn’t fire someone that works against his own father even if he’s a simple person.
Number 3, how dare you use the team “jack booted” , evoking nazis to describe the israeli police.last time i checked the iraeli police havent commited a genocide . this kind of sinas chinam destroyed the beis hamikdash and ensures it wont be rebuilt.
#10, “I should check my yichus” because I hold people accountable. That is correct, Gedolim are huge Torah giants, yet they are people like you and I. Otherwise, we’d be borderline of idolatry. I take huge pride of rabonim and gedolei hador, whether they come from Lakewood, Baltimore, Jerusalem, or Cleveland. But if wrongdoing occurs, I hold them accountable.
#11: The Israeli gov is guilty of attempted spiritual genocide.
#12 first of all I thing we should get straight who is guilty of ‘wrongdoing’, don’t be so quick to believe the chiloni press, and even if (in the very rare occasion) they report some truth, the rabanim 99% know what they’re doing and aren’t guilty of any wrongdoing. And EVEN IF a true talmid chacham does some wrongdoing the gemara in brachos 19b says אם ראית תלמיד חכם שעבר עבירה בלילה אל תהרהר אחריו ביום… who are we to be cleverer than the gemara
chachom, I assume you are referring to the legislation regarding the draft of the chareidim in israel. maybe the government is trying to do tshuva by preventing a “spiritual sondderkommando” (Rav Yosef served as a senior rav in the IDF for 13 years) from being rav haroshi?
communisim is alive and well!
A majority of SHASniks were and have served in different capacities in the IDF..