Leading rabbi dismisses sex abuse allegations against Rabbi Zvi Tau as ‘gossip’

A leading national-religious rabbi appears to dismiss rape allegations against another prominent religious leader from the community, but seems to suggest he should be “hanged” if the accusations prove to be true.

Rabbi Zvi Tau, 85, the founder of the far-right anti-LGBT Noam political party, has been accused by several women of sexual abuse and rape dating back decades, with two going public so far.

Rabbi Chaim Druckman, the spiritual adviser to Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich, calls the allegations against Tau “gossip.”

“People like to gossip. They search for things from the last century,” Druckman says in an interview with the Kan public radio. “Go to the police. The police will handle it,” he adds.

Pressed on what should happen if the accusations have merit, Druckman says: “He needs to be hanged… you need to act like one does in such a reality.”