JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli court sentenced a former health minister to probation and a fine on Monday for obstructing justice in connection with the protracted extradition case against a former teacher accused of sexually abusing her students in Australia.
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Yaakov Litzman, a former health minister and longtime ally of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, resigned from parliament earlier this year after striking a plea deal with prosecutors. He was accused of pressuring ministry employees to alter psychiatric evaluations to make it appear that Malka Leifer was unfit to stand trial.
Leifer was extradited to Australia in January 2021 after a six-year legal battle that strained relations between the two countries and angered Australia’s Jewish community. Leifer has pleaded not guilty to the charges and her trial is expected to start later this month.
Litzman was health minister during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic but resigned in April 2020 in the face of a public uproar over his handling of the crisis. He was charged with fraud and breach of trust earlier this year, but pleaded guilty to the breach of trust charge in the Leifer case.
In Monday’s hearing, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court upheld the plea deal and sentenced Litzman to eight months of probation and a $900 fine.
He and Leifer are members of the country’s insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Last year, then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said Litzman had used his position “to advance the interests of private individuals.”
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped charges that Litzman used his influence to prevent a friend’s deli from being shut down over health concerns.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel said the court’s acceptance of the “lenient and shameful” plea deal erodes public trust and law enforcement’s ability to perform its duty.
Protecting child molester should have it’s own specific laws and and mandatory prison time.
As much as I would normally look to keep Jews out of prison, in the hope they could learn their lesson otherwise, I would make an exception here. And I am disappointed that he was not sentenced to long years in prison. He breached the public trust in a most egregious manner, using his government position to protect a public menace, endangering everyone, and by being beholden to dishonesty to accomplish his selfish missions. I wish that he spends the rest of his days in disgrace over his evil ways.
A joke of a sentence for egregious crimes .
Got off easy …
What a joke of a sentence! He got away with it. He used his position to threaten psychiatrists. If they wrote that this predator was playing a crazy woman because she wanted to remain in Israel and not be prosecuted for the heinous crimes she committed, Litzman would have their licenses revoked. He used his position to threaten doctors to do as he told them. Shame on this Gerrer Chasid. I was told that Malka Leifer, the alleged pedophile, who was principal of the girls’ Yeshiva, was also part of Ger. Litzman consulted with his Rebbe and decided to have Leifer play the crazy lady. This principal preyed on young girls. Their lives were never the same afterwards. Litzman helped Leifer avoid trial in Australia for years. He needs some jail time. He committed a crime. His punishment should fit the crime. Shame on him again and again.
He should be in prison this agudaist
What an awful man. Further, he seems to have basically gotten away with it.
Several bad things going on.
1. His spiritual leader calls the shots.
2. This leader has zombie followers.
3. Neither care about the victims’ well being.
4. Criminal use of public office to threaten your subordinates.
5. Shows the worst behaviour of the jews supposedly following the Torah.
6. Fill in other bad things_____&____&______
“He and Leifer are members of the country’s insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.“
Not to take away from this painful issue, but this is a pretty anti Semitic comment for a frum website.
Shave your beard off and take your hat off …
<em>then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit</em> We so absolutely are so glad you are gone & so absolutely are not missing you not even 1 iota
This comment is better and wiser than all that preceded it.
Lashon horah.
How can I donate to his “Pidyon Shevuim” campaign?
He’s a Chosid so he obviously didn’t do anything.
If the Zionists can’t do it through the IDF they come up with other ways to destroy the Frum.