Israeli Rabbinical Scandals

by Stephen Lendman

Wrongdoing is commonplace. Crimes in high places happen often. Politicians commit them. So do corporate CEOs and top officials.

Wall Street crooks transformed America into an unprecedented money making racket. They make it the old fashioned way. They steal it.

They do it through fraud, grand theft, market manipulation, front-running, scamming investors, pumping and dumping, bribing politicians, writing legislation, securing top administrations posts, and getting bailed out when needed.

Rabbis have their own schemes. Apparently they believe God helps those who help themselves and then some. The idea is don't get caught.

Yona Metzger is Israel's former chief Ashkenazi rabbi. His counterpart was chief Sephardi rabbi Shlomo Amar. In early September, rabbi Yitzhak Yosef replaced him.

Metzger's 2003 appointment was considered controversial. He's not  a Talmudic authority. He never served as a religious judge.

Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis alternate as presidents of Israel's Rabbinical Supreme Court. They serve for five years. Each then switches to head the Chief Rabbinate Council.

Metzger's troubles began years earlier. At the same time, allegations never stuck. In February 2005, Israeli police investigated him on suspicion of fraud and bribery. Then Attorney General Menahem Mazuz decided not to prosecute.

He claimed insufficient evidence. He urged Metzger to take responsibility for his actions. He recommended he be removed from his post. In February 2008, the Rabbinical Court Judge Selection Committee chose not to so.

Earlier reports suggested Metzger sexually harassed other men. Then Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein ducked the issue.

In 2003, documents surfaced relating to suspicions of misconduct. At the time, Metzger was chief Tel Aviv rabbi. It was in the late 1990s.

He was suspected of forgery, extortion, threatening rabbi Shlomo Dichovsky not to compete with him for chief Tel Aviv rabbi, sexual harassment, and more.

Obeying religious and civil law isn't his long suit. On November 18, Haaretz headlined "Israel's former chief rabbi arrested on suspicion of accepting millions in bribes."

Monday morning he was arrested. An earlier imposed gag order was lifted. He's suspected of bribery, extortion, money laundering, fraud, obstructing justice, and more. According to Haaretz:

"Police suspect that Metzger had accepted bribes of money and goods from the heads of various nonprofit associations in return for advancing their interests."

Amounts reportedly totaled millions of shekels. Israeli national fraud police began investigating Metzger months earlier.

Strong evidence warranted his arrest. Other suspects were detained for questioning. The latest suspicions surfaced in June. At the time, he was questioned and placed under house arrest for five days.

In 2005, he was investigated on allegations of receiving tens of thousands of shekels from Jerusalem hotels.

They accommodated him and his family during the high holidays. They did it despite his nearby state-financed luxury apartment.

Previous allegations against Metzger didn't stick. Will this time be different? A previous article discussed whitewashing crime in Israel.

Absolving it in high places doesn't surprise. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's acquittal on serious charges is the latest example.

He's a right wing extremist. He's a serial felon. Serious accusations forced his resignation. He remained a Knesset member.

Clear evidence showed him guilty of bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and breach of trust.

Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein dropped major charges. Fraud and breach of trust remained.

On November 6, a three-judge panel acquitted him unanimously. On November 10, he was reinstated as foreign minister. He was sworn in the next day. He's arguably the worst FM in Israeli history.

He belongs in prison, not high office. He's not the only one. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced serious corruption charges.

On January 5, 2012, he and 17 others were indicted for allegedly giving and/or receiving bribes related to various real estate deals.

He was Jerusalem mayor at the time. Haaretz called the so-called Holyland case "an extravagant memorial to municipal corruption, riches to entrepreneurs, fringe benefits to elected officials, and kickbacks to go-betweens."

It reflected business as usual for crooked profiteers and complicit politicians. Bribes, kickbacks and cronyism persist. Olmert was up to his ears in it.

He was implicated in earlier financial crimes. In 1988, he was involved in forging Likud party campaign donation receipts. Others were convicted. He got off scot-free.

In July, he was acquitted of major charges. He was convicted only of one minor breach of trust accusation. It was for failing to disqualify himself from oversight from various transactions.

He still faces other charges. Odds favor exoneration. Crime in high places pays. Metzger may avoid prosecution. If indicted, he'll likely get off like Lieberman and Olmert.

Earlier chief rabbis had their own scandals. Metzger's predecessor, Yisrael Meir Lau, was accused of sexual harassment.

Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron was chief Sephardi rabbi from 1993 - 2004. He was prosecuted for issuing fake rabbinic ordination certificates. He did it to let security guards get pay raises.

Rabbi Shmuel Pappeheim called Metzger's alleged crimes unsurprising. At the same time, he said:

"When there's a desecration of God's name like this, it's a disgrace." Allegations against Metzger, Lau and others "pushed the rabbinate down to a nadir."

Rabbi Yoram Abergel reflects it. On November 10, he was arrested on suspicion of extorting rival rabbi Ya'akov Yisrael Ifergan. Both men have large followings in Netivot. It's in southern Israel.

At issue were October 22 elections. Abergel supported Mayor Yehiel Mesika's reelection. He won. Ifergan supported his challenger.

Police suspect he used crime boss Shalom Domrani's organization to influence the election's outcome through threats and extortion.

Exceptions prove the rule. Rabbi Mordechai Elon was charged with two counts of indecent assault against a minor.

Last August, he was convicted on one count. Potentially he faces seven years in prison.

His lawyer expressed disappointment with the decision. He said it's only "the first battle." The campaign to dismiss charges continues.

Elianna Yolkut is a New York-based freelance rabbi, teacher, speaker and blogger. In January, she headlined "Rabbis misbehaving: Lessons from sex abuse scandals in the Jewish community."

"Rabbis have the responsibility to stand up for what is right when no one else does," she said.

"In a world where it is easy to claim we are innocent bystanders, to skate by fulfilling our minimum obligations, we are required by our tradition to rise up and be the voice of humanity."

Often it's not the case. Scandals involving sexual and physical abuse make headlines. So do other disturbing issues involving members of the clergy and other so-called respected societal member.

Yolkut cited an incident involving at least two rabbis and teachers. Boys accused them of "inappropriate behavior."

In the 1970s and 80s, improper sexual activity charges against a staff member occurred at Manhattan-based Yeshiva University high school.

Nearly two dozen boys were abused. Then president/now chancellor Norman Lamm didn't notify enforcement officials. He quietly dismissed the offender.

What happened was shocking, said Yolkut. Equally disturbing was that "no rabbi or authority figure thought reporting it was necessary."

"Children claim abuse at a religious institution and no one thinks to alert authorities to the possibility that there might be a repeat offender. Who was standing up for these children? Who was protecting them?"

These type incidents aren't isolated. In May 2012, The New York Times headlined "Ultra-Orthodox Shun Their own for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse."

A disabled teenager was molested at a Brooklyn Jewish ritual bathhouse. Other incidents occurred. Orthodox Jews reporting them "encounter intense intimidation from" neighbors and rabbinical authorities. They're pressured to drop their charges.

Abuse victims and families are expelled from religious schools and synagogues. They're shunned by other Orthodox Jews.

Sixty-four-year-old Pearl Engelman said;

"There is no nice way of saying it. Our community protects molesters."

Catholic church pedophilia is commonplace. In 2004, John Jay College of Criminal Justice's (JJCCJ) Professor Karen Terry and others published a report based on Catholic diocese surveys.

They covered the period 1950 - 2002. They showed under age 18 molestation occurs in:

"more than 95% of dioceses and approximately 60% of religious communities."

"Of the 195 dioceses and eparchies that participated in the study, all but seven have reported" at least one offending priest.

"Of the 140 religious communities" surveyed, "only 30 reported" no abuses. Doing so doesn't mean they don't exist. Given the reluctance of victims to come forward, it's virtually certain many other incidences took place.

Thousands of children were harmed. Most were 11 - 17-aged boys. Hundreds of priests were involved.

The problem is global. It's much more than a Catholic or Orthodox Jewish issue. Coverup is commonplace. Abuse is routinely swept under the rug.

Pedophilia is a crime against humanity. Young children are defenseless against strong-willed adults. Even less so against members of the clergy.

The Vatican has centuries of skeletons in its closet. Other religions have their own.

A previous article quoted from Michael Parenti's "God and His Demons." He confronted Old and New Testaments, saying:'

"The god of the Holy Bible - so much adored in the United States and elsewhere - is ferociously vindictive, neurotically jealous, intolerant, vainglorious, punitive, wrathful, sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, sadistic and homicidal."

"As they say, it's all in the Bible. Beware of those who act in the name of such a god."

"Were we to encounter these vicious traits in an ordinary man, we would judge him to be in need of lifelong incarceration at a maximum-security facility."

"At the very least, we would not prattle on about how he works his wonders in mysterious ways."

The Bible deals with sexuality in broad terms. Incest, adultery, homosexuality and rape are addressed. Children are most vulnerable.

Crimes in high places are commonplace. They occur in many forms. Prosecutions rarely follow. Convictions are few and far in between. Longterm sentences are almost unheard of.

Most often, influential felons remain free to sexually abuse, extort, embezzle, and otherwise enrich themselves lawlessly.

At times, they even get away with murder. It's part of the system. It works for them at the expense of most others.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

Is that why Zionists have no birthright to be murderous thieves of Palestinian lands?

Or is there ANOTHER reason that Zionists have NO birthright of MURDEROUS THEFT of Palestinian lands???

This guy or that guy living up to YOUR standards is NOT is NOT what will determine whether or NOT Zionists have an alleged right to be murderous thieves of Palestinian lands.

Who YOU see as the BETTER human being is NEVER going to be what gives Zionists their alleged birthright to be murderous thieves of Palestinian lands and is NEVER going to be what gives the Palestinians their basic human right NOT to be destroyed by the murderous thieving invaders whether Zionists or Brits or Turks or alleged Christian Crusaders or Arabs or Romans or Hebrews...!!!

"whether alleged Zionists or alleged Brits or alleged Turks or Christian Crusaders or alleged Arabs or alleged Romans or alleged Hebrews...!!!"

-there fixed that for you

We don't see what you mean because you never post anything of actual substance.

What we DO see is that you feel some sort of pathetic need to alter what I wrote to make some alleged point that neither you nor anyone else can point out.

Got substance? Like I always do???

Make a valid point! Make it your life's goal. Pray for divine intervention. Toss a coin in a wishing well. Pay someone to assist you. Do what ever it takes. Just make a valid point. It is not that hard. You see me do it over and over again.

But don't give up. Strive to become more than a vapid troll. We have faith in your ability to yank you head out of your ass and make more of yourself than a shhitt head.

Methane Levels going through the Roof

https://2gxxzwnj52jutais.onion.to/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4&start=10

"Atmospheric methane levels in the Arctic are currently at new record highs, averaging about 1900 parts per billion."

- this ^ is when I posted the 'tipping point reached - GAME OVER' thread


"On November 9, 2013, methane readings well over 2600 ppb were recorded at multiple altitudes, as illustrated by the image below."


-and this past week's community affairs:

"Those living in comfort are, for the most part, ignoring the sufferings in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest storm that ever made landfall in human history, so far. The general thinking seems to be: “My omnipotent dog spelled backwards would never let anything like that happen to me.”

Thus encouraged by the ceaseless beat of commercial propaganda, with an artificial flavor of privileged exceptionalism and a pinch of spicy racism thrown in, the comfortable high and dry squelch any passing thoughts of remorse or responsibility or threat. Some who lived through Hurricane Sandy or Katrina or other watery windy disasters may feel a personal connection, while the rest mostly think they are immune, if they think about it at all.

Mass media blurring the sharpness of cause and effect, seeds confusion, sows doubt, and aborts political resistance to anthropocentric environmental catastrophe. Another layer of callousness applied. Another shiver of fear suppressed. As the masses cheer on all that is normal in their lives.

Fossil fools.

Not many of them ever pet their cosmic dog in gushing appreciation about having a roof above their heads. But they sure try to kick it, when things leak. Oh that wily cosmic dog.

Some got stuff (’cause they stole it fair and square), some don’t. And soon it will all be washed away. Naturally and unnaturally.

As far as the politics of this thing, the system filters out anything that disagrees with it, that doesn’t support and benefit the powerful. The rich presume to have it all figured out – they have yachts that rise and fall with the tide – everything figured out and under control,.. except the untidy conundrum of human extinction. They come to think that sufficient wealth engenders invulnerability. Just a little more normalcy, a little more ‘civilized’ magic, and they’ll surely be safe.

Some refuge, some self sufficient island, where they imagine they will be able to survive in continued comfort, after global environmental calamity. After extinction. Easy to see how being rich and comfortable would create a blind spot like that – or, perhaps, even they don’t think they’re human.

Our conclusion is well justified. For the high crime of mass extinction, we shall become extinct. A balancing, a normalization – a suicide. We are the walking dead, having already drunk the poison, lingering dinosaurs out of our element, estranged from the Earth. These last few hours are the last opportunity to contemplate and comprehend our transgressions, before we cease.

This forum is our obituary, our final epitaph.

Appropriately carved into mere ether. We were only temporary. More ephemeral than the bubbles on a mountain stream or the mist from its falling waters."

*******************************************

there's a couple reasons why I don't post this stuff here:

1.) it is never selected for syndication so it would get very little exposure (billionaires don't want subjects like this brought up - bad for BAU)

2.) there's no one here that gives a damn anyway about climate (billionaires wishes are followed & emulated here and billionaires don't care about this subject)

the above quotes from last weeks community affairs pretty well explains it..

BTW there is now a specific date for when the LA basin becomes uninhabitable due to deadly heat - you'd think at least THAT would matter here:

Indonesia - 2020
Sri Lanka - 2029
Mexico City - 2031
India - 2034
Sydney - 2038
Beijing, San Diego, Orlando - 2046
NYC - 2047
LA, Denver - 2048
San Francisco, Toronto - 2049
Houston, Rio de Janeiro - 2050
Seattle - 2050
London - 2056

"Got future?"

You COULD HAVE presented something of substance. But, you chose to run and hide like a simpleton name calling bully.

Hasbara troll? Does anyone even know what this "Hasbara" is??? Sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon to me.

Ohhh, but you chose to run away run away from the actual issue and try (and FAIL) to change the subject.

YOU got busted out as a name calling bully, so you ran away ran away to "methane" levels. Look at your (YOUR!!!) chart. Ohhhh, 2025. A dozen years from now. 2060. A dozen PLUS 35 years from now. What is that? 12 plus 35 = "substance"??? No, not substance.

You HAD your chance to add substance to YOUR post. But INSTEAD, you chose to run away run away from your own supposition, and hide like a rat by changing the subject to an issue that is nothing more than speculation, Oh, 12 plus 35 = 47. 47 YEARS into the future this clown Crazy Inventor has to travel to run away run away from his own name calling bullying trash.

Just what is the problem??? Why can't you make even one single post that doesn't make you look like a meaningless burp in the expansion of human thought???

Is being an utter failure on your bucket list???

Wouldn't you like to be more than a pimple on the ass of society even once in your life???

I mean, even one time (1 time) in all your vacant posts? Wouldn't you like to be more than what you have already shown us???

Even 1 time???

I, could not stand being such a meaning ass for even a second. But you! You seem to make it your life's work.

I don't know. Are you being payed to be such a tool? Is there some sort of thrill you get from being so vapid and offensive???

Isn't there anything in your brain that tells you that your brain was created to create something other than dung?

I feel sorry for you. I really do. I could not wish your psychosis on anyone.

This ^ is with (just) the methane feedback added. This graph represents the best attempt yet to show what's actually happening and what to expect.

NOTE that this doesn't include the other 25 positive feedbacks or the loss of sea ice as noted above..

What Lendman doesn't tell you is that it's the anti-Zionist Jews involved with these incidents

Loss of sea ice???

And that means what to this thread???

Not a damned thing, other than the FACT that you run away run away from your past posts!!! You are a name calling bully. And if I am wrong about that, then add something of substance that would refute my claim!!!

And sea ice is increasing the last 12 years. NOT decreasing.

Wow, are lies all (ALL!!!) you have left to run away run away from your own suppositions???

And for Vee oh Gee, Anti Zionist Jews saying ANYTHING doesn't mean a damned thing.

I am so tired of hearing people suggest that the Jews are the ONLY people who have a right to say who has a right to live (YES LIVE!!!) in the Palestinian's homeland, when it is in reality, ONLY the Palestinian who have a right to say who gets to live in Palestine.

Jews have no more right saying who gets to live ( yes LIVE!!!) in Palestinian lands than they have a right to say who gets to live ( Yes LIVE!!!) in Costa Rica, or Cambodia, or Togo.

Duh!!!

"sea ice is increasing the last 12 years. NOT decreasing."

and currently 2013 :

"sea ice extent has stopped growing, (even though winter is setting in).. ..There are several reasons why sea ice isn't growing, including high temperature anomalies in the Arctic.. ..High methane levels are contributing to temperature anomalies, by trapping additional sunlight in the atmosphere over the Arctic Ocean.

Furthermore, strong winds have hit the sea ice. Strong winds are pushing sea ice inward in the Kara Sea and in the Chukchi Sea, while pushing sea ice - up to 5 meters thick - out of the Arctic Ocean along the coast of Greenland, as illustrated by the Naval Research Laboratory..(data follows)"

https://2gxxzwnj52jutais.onion.to/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4&start=10

"sea ice extent has stopped growing"

Wow. Or do I mean WOW!!!!

Crazy inventor has just admitted that sea ice HAS been growing the last 12 years.

Could anyone have seen Crazy inventor telling the truth, after all the lies C-I has shoveled at you in the past???

Oh, but wait,...yep. He keeps shoveling more dung in your direction. In November, C-I seems upset that arctic sea ice isn't at January levels.

Oh and that anomalies in 2 areas of the planet do not jive with what some people would tell you is something other than global warming. Winds forcing sea ice 5 meters thick is still sea ice 5 meters thick. Would less forceful winds making sea ice 2.5 meters thick over twice the area of 2 single regions really show you anything other than Crazy-Inventor's willingness and DESIRE to lie to you???

No, the very best that C-I has to present to you is speculation and outright lies. But C-I seems happy with that.

ooh the stupid, it burns ;)

this is the game trolls play - they ignore all data *other than when they cherry pick it* and otherwise pretend to be too stupid to process it

over & over again


if any of the patrons (of NBL) then express the sentiment that they're GLAD people like that will die soon, they then attack using that angle - that the people following this data _are a cult_ that they hate people, etc.

..in neither case do they address the data

in every case they're attacking the messenger while ignoring the data. if they acknowledge the data at all it's only to claim it's false or to cherry pick it..

all the charts are at the link (my forum) I've already posted twice here including this chart..