Two additional suspects arrested in case of teen missing for 130 days

Police have arrested two additional suspects in connection with the disappearance of Moshe Klinerman, an ultra-Orthodox boy who has been missing for 130 days.

The two individuals detained by police are residents of the Mount Meron area, but their names, like much of the information of the case, remain under a gag order.

Klinerman, 16, was last seen on March 25, when he left his home in the settlement of Modiin Illit with a few friends for a trip to the Mount Meron area in northern Israel. Months later, there have been few developments in the case and no trace of him has been found.

Following the announcement of the arrests, the Klinerman family stated they were in constant contact with law enforcement on the case, and noted there was a “deep commitment” by senior officials to complete the investigation.

The teen’s parents said they were still waiting for a response from Defense Minister Benny Gantz, after making a request in July that the Israel Defense Forces assist in the efforts to locate Moshe.

“We trust the police to do all that is necessary to locate Moishy, who had been missing for 130 days, and return him home, and respecfully demand that the issue not be dropped from the agenda,” the Klinermans said in a statement.

Screen capture from video of Shmuel, left, and Giti, right, parents of missing teenager Moshe Klinerman, 16, at their home in Modiin Illit, July 3, 2022. (Ynet)

Police are still holding two other suspects — Solomon Abramov, 35 from Jerusalem and another unnamed individual who were arrested two weeks ago.

Police released an additional suspect from custody in July after announcing the arrest six days earlier, disappointing Klinerman’s parents who were told by officers to expect a breakthrough in the case.

Klinerman and his friends arrived at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron, where Klinerman reportedly wanted to seclude himself, asking his friends to continue their trip without him. He has not been seen since.

Following three months of dead ends, the Israel Police said in June that it would establish a special task force to assist in the investigation.

At the same time, police were continuing to scan the area where Klinerman disappeared and deployed intelligence and surveillance tools to try and determine his whereabouts.