State prosecutors are expected to close an investigation into Rabbi Zvi Tau, a spiritual leader to many Orthodox Israeli nationalists, who is suspected of rape and sexual assault, due to a lack of evidence, Haaretz reports.
The octogenarian rabbi has been accused by multiple women of sexual abuse and rape dating back decades, with two having gone public with the allegations. He heads the influential Har Hamor Yeshiva in Jerusalem and is the spiritual leader of the anti-LGBTQ Noam political party.
Tau, 87, was questioned by police once in March 2023, then released on bail. He has denied the allegations against him.
Police transferred the case against the rabbi to the State Attorney’s Office in July 2023. It was soon turned back over to law enforcement for further investigation, following new information pointing to his guilt.
However, investigators struggled to collect testimony. Police sources tell Haaretz that investigators were met with “barriers of silence” from Tau’s associates and those in his yeshiva. A final decision on the matter is expected to be made soon, the outlet reports.
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