Israel Police’s elite 433 unit has completed its probe into alleged illegal activity involving Holon Chief Rabbi Avraham Yosef Shlita. 433, Israel’s equivalent of the FBI. The unit recommends a criminal indictment against HaGaon HaRav Yosef including counts of fraud, extortion and breach of trust. According to investigators, allegations that in his capacity as the city’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Yosef compelled restaurant owners to buy Badatz Beit Yosef products have been backed with evidence and testimony gathered in their investigation. The investigation began in 2012 and also addresses a time period during which Rav Yosef was responsible for kashrus in Ohr Yehuda, from 2008-2011.
According to 433 investigators they have gathered sufficient evidence to compel an indictment, substantiating Rav Yosef abused his post as the civil service chief rabbi, using his position to compel stores to use Badatz Beit Yosef products, with the latter run by a brother of the rav. Investigators report Rav Yosef threatened to revoke a store’s mehadrin hashgacha for non-compliance with his directive, which is illegal and contrary to the regulations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
433 has handed over the case to the state prosecutor with its recommendation for an indictment.
It was this investigation that compelled Rav Avraham Yosef to drop out as a candidate to become the next Rishon L’Tzion. As a result, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L decided the candidate would become Rav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita, who is currently serving in that post.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
The photo accompanying this article gives the impression that the subject of the photo is in handcuffs.
But he paskened that fraud is mutar — in fact a mitzvah — in the case of a woman who asked if she could write a university assignment for a friend!
The question is whether the cops bullied those being questioned to say the things they wanted to hear.