Rabbi Yoram Abergel
Following the arrest of southern mob kingpin Shalom Domrani
and six of his men, police arrested a well known Rabbi Yoram Abergel from Netivot
on Sunday on the suspicion he was
involved in extortion done by Domrani's organization in an alleged attempt to
influence the municipal elections in Netivot, Israel Radio reported.
Abergel's remand was extended by four days.
Abergel is suspected of extortion and vote tampering. Police
claim that during the last municipal elections in Netivot, Abergel and fellow
accomplices extorted several campaign aides working with mayoral candidate Eyal
Messika.
The rabbi's lawyer, Attorney Menachem Rubinstein, said
during the hearing that "the timing of the arrest is part of the police's
attempt to prove to the public they are doing something," hinting at the
recent public outcry against organized crime activities.
Domrani and several of his men were arrested on Saturday
night for allegedly threatening rabbis, including the well-known Rabbi Yaakov
Ifergan, who backed mayoral candidate Eyal Messika against Domrani and
Abergel's favorite, long-time Mayor Yehiel Zohar.
Police suspect Domrani of damaging property, obstructing the
elections, obstructing legal procedures and extortion.
Power struggle
The arrest of the Rabbi Abergel came as a shock to many. The
rabbi is considered one of the senior figures in Sephardic rabbinical circles
and heads a Talmud studies network with thousands of students.
"Arrest the rabbi? The police have gone crazy,"
said one of the rabbi's followers.
The rabbi's arrest reignited the struggle between rival
rabbinical followings in Netivot, which vie for power in the small southern
city, though some say Abergel's influence has in recent years eclipsed that of
his nemesis, Ifergan. "Rabbi Ifergan is very well known on the national
scene, but Rabbi Abergel has more power in the local," a source involved
in local politics said.
Zohar, who won the elections, and Messika denied any
knowledge of Domrani and of extortion attempts related to the elections.
An associate of Rabbi Ifergan told Ynet that "now
police are hounding Domrani and can accuse him even of natural disasters if
they need to.
The rabbi was not threatened personally nor extorted. It's more
probable that his employees and ground-level men were threatened. It was a very
intense campaign. Rabbis in Netivot welcome everyone, even criminals."
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