Man suspected of forging license plates, passports for imaginary kingdom
Shay Karamosta founded ‘Yashar-El’ after declaring ‘dissolution of the corporate government of Israel,’ established ‘consulate’ in his Hadera apartment
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Police said Monday they were investigating a man suspected of distributing and using fake documents for his imaginary kingdom, “Yashar-El.”
Shay Karamosta, 48, recently declared himself king of Yashar-El, opened up so-called “diplomatic offices” in Hadera and Zichron Yaakov, and began allegedly issuing official documents such as passports and license plates.
Karamosta and his partner were arrested last week next to an abandoned compound near Moshav Bitan Aharon in central Israel by police over the allegations, which include forgery and use of fake documents, obstructing a police officer in performing his duties, impersonating a license holder, forging vehicle identification marks, and using a fake license plate.
The abandoned compound was marked as the “formal post office” of the kingdom.
The couple was released on restrictive conditions by the Acre Magistrate’s Court on Sunday.
Police said they became aware of the issue after a cop pulled over a car with the fake plates on Route 4 near the coastal city of Ashdod.
The passenger presented a document he claimed to be diplomatic credentials, and the officer let him go.
Police then opened an undercover investigation into the matter.
Following the couple’s arrest, police searched their home in Hadera and found similar license plates and fake documents.
Signs were hung at the apartment marking it as the consulate of Yashar-El, alongside a warning that “unauthorized entry without an official invitation is strictly prohibited.”
In September, Karmosta posted a video online declaring the “dissolution of the corporate government of Israel” and claimed sovereignty over the nation.
In another video, he claimed to have drawn inspiration from the late Eli Avivi, who also founded his own micronation, Achzivland, in the country’s north in the 1970s.
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