Police announced tonight (Sunday) that it has been decided to open an investigation against Yehuda Meshi Zahav on suspicion of committing alleged sexual offenses. The investigation was assigned to the National Fraud Investigation Unit in Lahav 433.
Meshi Zahav, chairman of the ZAKA, waived the receipt of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement following an investigation by the Haaretz newspaper, which provided evidence of sexual offenses he allegedly committed against men and women.
Racheli Gottlieb-Rosgold, vice president of Magen, said that since the publication of the investigation, they have received additional complaints. "Women who spoke to me experienced anxiety attacks and suddenly everything came back to haunt them. They are threatened and frightened. There is also evidence from recent years, we understand that people around him are aware of this and do nothing. "
Gottlieb-Rosgold explained on Network B that in order for the police investigation to turn into an indictment, solid evidence and proof is needed. "Victims are often afraid to confront such a massively public personality," Gottlieb-Rosgold explained the complexity faced by the victims, emphasizing that when it comes to an influential person, such as Meshi Zahav, the fear is doubled at least.
"It should be understood that there is a great difficulty here because Meshi Zahavi is a person with a lot of power and influence in the Haredi society," she said. "Anyone who is sexually assaulted is afraid." However, Magen's vice president noted that the issue of sexual assault in the Haredi sector is no longer as muted as in the past, and there are those who can address complaints. "Today it is already spoken of openly, which is itself a deterrent. It is an important statement to make - someone who becomes a predator, no matter how much good they have done, reveals how evil they really are.”