The 500-member Lev Tahor community of haredi-religious Jews living outside Guatemala's capital moved out Sunday, claiming persecution because of faith, according to Agence France Presse. Lev Tahor's leader, American Rabbi Uriel Goldman, said his people are moving to a village in the eastern part of the Central American country because of harassment, including a raid on the group's buildings on September 13th.
Guatemalan authorities said that search was carried out at the request of Israeli authorities to search for a girl who was barred from leaving Israel. They also said the raid was also aimed at investigating allegations of child abuse. Lev Tahor left Israel, Canada and the United States amid child abuse allegations, denied by Guatemalan David Sandoval.