Former Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger on Monday, 3 Shevat formally pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in the plea bargain agreement accepted by the court.
The rabbi will serve a 3.5 year jail term in addition of paying a fine in the amount of NIS 5 million.
During his tenure as Chief Rabbi of Israel, the rabbi accepted bribes, at times in the form of exaggerated commissions for tzedaka funds he collected on behalf of organizations. The money was used to purchase apartments for family members, thereby avoiding income tax.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
13 Responses
interesting, Israeli judges receive bribes all the time but never has any of them been accused or arrested. They must have special immunity.
All the time? It should then be easy for you to name one. Just one. You must have special immunity from הלכות לשון הרע.
It’s simple a Rabbi gets convicted you have someone blaming so called crooked judges. Two wrongs don’t make a right. He should go to jail for at least 5 years showing no respect for the Torah. That’s why yidden get bad names here and in Israel because of Rabbis like this. Most Rabbis are good decent people who dedicate their lives to helping fellow Jews not themself.
Arye – how about backing up your statement with some concrete examples or facts.
It is important to remember that Rabbi Metzger was put forth by the Chareidi parties to block Rav Yakov Ariel, a known and respected Talmid Chacham who has served for decades as a Rav with no hint of untoward behavior, from becoming the Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Metzger, on the other hand, had already been involved in questionable dealings – but the Chareidi parties deliberately wanted someone they could control rather than a Talmid Chacham from the Dati Le’umi community who had the “broad shoulders” to pasken on his own.
Eizehu Chacham? Haro’eh es hanolad. You put a dishonest hack into a position of responsibility, don’t be surprised when he causes a massive Chilul Hashem.
an Israeli Yid
#2 You only know what you read in the media which is never against any judge. Have you realized this? Had you gotten inside information you’d talk differently.
Chaval – He is such a nice person.
Arye,
I live in London but my uncle is an Israeli judge. He’s also a Shomer Shabbos, Yodeiah Sefer and G-d fearing man, who I both love and respect.
There is no way he, nor any of his similarly inclined colleagues, would accept a bribe.
You talk about about “special immunity” in a jurisdiction which has recently imprisoned both a former President and a former Prime Minister.
I have no idea who you are, but I suspect you have no idea what you’re talking about.
#8 I wasn’t referring to religious judges. But I do have a lot of inside information and the corruption going on there.
obviously not first hand information and if it is first hand then you are just as wrong for repeating it here.
What about the boys? Didn’t any of them complain?
Who says that a prominent Rabbi’s relatives are not allowed to accept tzedakah?
The Rabbi, a Tzaddik should not be doubted. He is innocent!
IT IS PROHIBITED TO PUBLICIZE EVEN KNOWN INFORMATION .
SEE CHOFETZ CHAIM