Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Housing Minister Litzman to be charged with obstruction of justice, breach of trust
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has decided to indict Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman on the United Torah Judaism party for obstruction of justice and breach of trust, pending a hearing.
The pending charges relate to suspicions that Litzman used his former position as deputy health minister to prevent the extradition to Australia of a former principal of an Orthodox girls school in Melbourne accused of sexual assaulting minors, and to prevent the closure of a deli cited for health violations.
Mandelblit won’t indict Litzman for bribery, which police recommended he be charged for.
Litzman’s United Torah Judaism is a key partner in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s right-wing religious bloc.

Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman of United Torah Judaism speaks during a press conference at the Knesset on May 6, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)