Ex-Chief Rabbi Accused of Pocketing $2M in Bribes
Image by wikicommons
Yona Metzger, a former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, was indicted for corruption.
In the indictment filed Tuesday by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office, Metzger was charged with fraud, theft, conspiracy, breach of trust, money laundering, tax offenses and accepting bribes.
The indictment followed a hearing in which Metzger’s attorney argued against the charges. It had been announced originally in February.
Metzger is accused of accepting nearly $2.6 million in bribes — keeping nearly $2 million for himself while paying the rest to accomplices and charitable organizations.
Chaim Eisenstadt, Metzger’s driver, received the bribes, according to the indictment.
Metzger is accused of profiting from donations directed to charitable causes and of taking bribes to sway his opinion on matters he decided as chief rabbi.
He completed his 10-year term as chief rabbi in July 2013. Metzger was arrested and questioned a month before his term ended and released.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
