There are reports that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Beis Din has invalidated the Kiddushin of recalcitrant husband Oded Gaz after establishing one of the witnesses was not shomer negia (שמר נגיעה). In response, the directors of the beis din on Thursday morning, 8 Tammuz, released a statement that the above report is “fake news”.

Dr. Oded Gaz, once a respected member of the staff of Bar Ilan University Department of Physics, was ousted in 2016, apprehended and brought to Israel after fleeing to Belgium.

He had fled Israel after being placed in nidui (Cheirem) by the beis din.

The fake news report appears in the weekly parsha sheet “Matzav HaRuach”, where it states one of the witnesses was raised religious and maintained a religious lifestyle until shortly before the chupah. At the time of the chupah, he was reportedly no longer Shomer Shabbos and was “mechalel Shabbos befarhesya l’mehadrin”, and therefore, he was not qualified as a witness, and therefore the kidushin was invalidated.

It is reported the witness turned on lights Shabbos, worked as a lifeguard on Shabbos, had inappropriate relations with women R”L, and was quoted telling beis din he was aware of the prohibition of nidda but was not bothered by it. It is reported this was validated when the beis din interviewed the roommate of the witness.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)