Family members and attorneys representing R’ Shlomo Benizri, the former Shas minister serving a four-year jail term after being convicted of white collar crimes, are concerned over his deteriorating difficult emotional state, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reported.

Army Radio reported on Tuesday that the former cabinet minister has already been seen by a prison service psychiatrist, but a Benizri attorney commented this is not too unusual, pointing out the difficulties adjusting for a person who was a high-profile cabinet minister and now, in his 7th week of a jail term.

The attorney added that he was doing “okay”, not better or worse than can be expected, but the decision not to permit him to attend the bris of his son Daniel’s first child, today, delivered a serious blow, adding other prisoners were given permission for a bris and a similar family event, insisting Benizri is the victim of significant discrimination as the prison service seeks to prove he is not receiving preferential treatment. This results in the former minister being the victim of severe discriminatory policies, and being barred from receiving permission for such events while regular prisoners routinely receive permission.

One of the Benizri’s sons, Netanel spoke with Kol Chai Radio, expressing his pain over the decision of prison officials, explaining such a release is not without precedent but it appears when it deals with his father, there is a different set of rules. He stressed the request was to release him to attend the bris for a limited number of hours, and nothing more. Netanel, who spoke on the radio at about 1:30pm, expressed a ray of hope that his father will still be at the bris, which is set for 4:00pm.

He confirmed reports that at present, Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef will serve as sandek if his father is not in attendance.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)