U.S. money laundering suspects linked to Shas spiritual leader

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Government sources believe that one of the aftereffects of the massive money-laundering and illegal organ trading case that broke this week will be a sharp decline in donations to Israeli yeshivas, particularly those linked with the ultra-Orthodox party Shas and its spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

Three New Jersey mayors and several rabbis were arrested last Thursday in a sweeping federal investigation into political corruption that also uncovered human kidney sales and money laundering from Brooklyn to Israel.

Sources say that the wave of donations received by Israel's Sephardic yeshivas will significantly diminish as the scandal breaks, even by Jewish bodies unrelated to the affair who want to distance themselves from it.

One of the main suspects in the money laundering case is Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Haim, who is a close associate of Rabbi David Yosef, Ovadia Yosef's son. Ben Haim is also very active in the Yechavei Da'at organization, headed by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's family."

<snip>

"The Israel Police is set to investigate several Sephardic yeshivas, among them those linked with Shas, under suspicion of money laundering as related to the case. Police sources speculate that the investigation may expand to include banks that may have been involved in the possible money laundering operation."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1102901.html



Report: Aryeh Deri sought funds from community involved in money laundering

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3752196,00.html

Deri apparently following in footsteps of Rabbi David Yosef, who left US just hours before community was raided and his associate arrested by FBI

<snip>

"Sources from the Syrian-Jewish community in New York say Aryeh Deri visited them in May in order to request donations for a new political party, which he defined as a "social, haredi-secular party whose members are key Israeli personalities."

The American Syrian-Jewish community has donated funds in the past to a number of haredi institutions, especially those owned by Shas and the family of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the party's spiritual leader.

Yosef's son, Rabbi David Yosef, visited the community a number of times a year as the guest of Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Haim, who is currently one of the main suspects in a money laundering case involving ultra-Orthodox communities in New Jersey and New York.

David Yosef's family members say he departed from the US just hours before the FBI swept into the community to arrest 44 of its members, who are suspected of involvement in the case. "(He was) very lucky," said a member of the family who resides in Brooklyn.

Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Haim is considered a close associate of Rabbi David Yosef, and the two have been regarded as close since their days in the yeshiva."


Meanwhile...


Rabbi Ovadia slams US: We're not their slaves

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3752180,00.html

In his weekly sermon Shas' spiritual leader protests US pressure on Israel to halt settlement construction, says 'Messiah will throw them out'

<snip>

"In his weekly sermon Saturday evening, Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef slammed US President Barack Obama and other western leaders for pressuring Israel to freeze construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

"'You can't build here, you can't build there' – it's as if we were their slaves," the rabbi protested. "We are being ruled by slaves," he said," adding that, "Our messiah will come and throw them out."

Rabbi Ovadia also bemoaned the current reality in the Temple Mount, saying: "Where is our temple? There are Arabs there!" He then promised that the messiah "will throw all these evil ones out of here."


"We are being ruled by slaves," he said.." :o

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Pity this has to be in this forum. It really is an important NEWS story

about money laundering and crooks.

[LeftishBrit]

2. There are quite a few references to the scandal in the main forums

The Israeli press are of course particularly interested in how this might affect certain groups in Israel. I think quite a few people would be glad if this does reduce the influence of Shas. IMO Shas has a quite baleful influence on Israeli politics, and considerably out of proportion to their actual numbers.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Seems like the whole globe has caught fundie batshit-itis.