Holyland real estate affairs defendants former Jerusalem Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky and former Jerusalem Councilman Rav Avraham Feiner were scheduled for sentencing today, Monday, 11 Sivan 5774 by Justice David Rosen of the Tel Aviv District Court. The court instructed the prosecution to seek lighter sentences due to their ill health and the circumstances.

The court decided to postpone Lupoliansky’s sentencing after hearing he was hospitalized in Hadassah Hospital with pneumonia on Sunday, 10 Sivan. He is also battling a serious illness R”L. The court felt it was improper to sentence Lupoliansky when he is not present, accepting a request from his attorney. The new sentencing date is 21 Sivan 5774. The prosecution maintains there are other prisoners with cancer receiving care in Assaf HaRofeh Hospital and it feels the same can be applied to Lupoliansky, remaining firm in its demand for jail time.

An agreement was reached regarding defendant Feiner. He will be sentenced to six months community service, not jail time, due to his poor health. The prosecution was seeking a prison term but ultimately agreed to the community service.

Unlike for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who was sentenced to six years imprisonment, and other defendants, who pocketed bribe money, Lupoliansky and Feiner forwarded the funds to Yad Sara and Beis Malka respectively, not keeping anything for personal gain. While they abused their public office to assist in advancing the Holyland project and broke the law, they never sought personal monetary gain.

The court explained they still broke the law but due to the circumstances leniency is warranted. The prosecution asked for a six year sentence for Lupoliansky, who was convicted of taking 2.5 million shekels in bribes and 3-to-4 years in Feiner’s case, who was found guilty of taking 700,000 shekels in bribes.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)