Reports from South Africa indicate Rabbi Eliezer Berland will be extradited, turned over to the custody of Israel Police this week.

The rabbi has released a recording ahead of being turned over to Israeli authorities, instructions to his followers amid Israel Police fears there may be violence upon his arrival in Israel. The rabbi calls on chassidim to act properly and “not to lift a hand to anyone”.

Expected to arrive on Tuesday, 13 Tammuz, he will remain in custody and face charges of assaulting women after being on the run for a number of years, leading police to a number of countries and continents as they tried to have him extradited to Israel to stand trial.

The rabbi clearly states that anyone coming to the “kabolas ponim tomorrow is asked to act with derech eretz, not to confront police, not to raise a hand to anyone, and not to speak ill of anyone but to act in accordance to halacha”.

He stresses in the strongest possible terms the need to act with derech eretz, not to be discourteous to police and to adhere to all instructions by police “So the rav can return immediately to his home”.

“In the merit of the rav returning to Eretz Yisrael, the judges will also do teshuvah and police want to do teshuvah as does all of Am Yisrael so this Rosh Hashanah we can greet Moshiach and see the Beis Hamikdash of fire, especially three days before the first Luchos as it occurs annually…

“In the merit of a tranquil kabolas ponim, one with derech eretz, we will see Moshiach come down in fire with Rabbeinu with us and all Am Yisrael will elevate to the holy tziyun Moshiach Ben Dovid”.

The Rabbi is scheduled to board a plane on Monday night and arrive in Israel on Tuesday morning. However, it is reported it is unclear if this will occur due to a shortage of police manpower. Should this be the case, it will be postponed for another day.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)