Mayor of town near Jerusalem suspected of corruption, sex offenses

Unnamed local council head questioned at offices of police’s Lahav 433 unit

By ToI Staff 17 March 2021, 1:05 pm

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General view of the Lahav 433 police unit headquarters in the city of Lod, on November 4, 2019. (Flash90)

The head of a local council near Jerusalem is suspected of sexual offenses and corruption.

The Israel Police said in a statement that “a publicly elected official” was being interrogated at the offices of the Lahav 433 anti-fraud unit over allegations related to “morality and integrity,” without elaboration.

Media reports said the unnamed mayor was taken to the Lahav 433 offices after a search was conducted at his home Wednesday morning.

They said the main allegation concerns corruption, and a relatively small part of the investigation deals with suspected sex crimes.

In recent days, much public attention has been focused on serial sex abuse allegations leveled by women, girls, men and boys against Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, the founder and longtime head of the ZAKA emergency rescue organization. Meshi-Zahav denies the allegations.