Prosecutors ask to include new evidence against Rabbi Motti Elon

Rabbi Mordechai (Motti) Elon speaking in a Jerusalem synagogue, August 2010

In an unexpected development, prosecutors in the sexual harassment case against Rabbi Mordechai (Motti) Elon have requested to add four additional students to the original indictment, one week before the trial’s evidentiary stage is set to begin, according to Maariv.

According to the document which was obtained by Maariv, sometime in the last month a social worker came to the prosecutor’s office accompanied by a former student of Elon. The social worker brought testimonies gathered over the course of her work from students who had studied under Elon. The student, identified as M., reported incidents that had occurred when he was a student of Elon in 1995 at the Horev Yeshiva high school in Jerusalem.

Prosecutors noted that the dates cited in this new testimony are not within the time frame of the original indictment.

In November, Elon was indicted on two counts of indecent and sexual assault against two 17-year-old male students between 2003 and 2005, when he was head of Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem’s Old City. The trial opened in December at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. Throughout the proceedings, Elon has maintained his innocence, claiming that he may have kissed and hugged students, but it was to console or encourage them, and never done in a sexual manner.

Both of the students claim that they turned to Elon during a time of personal crisis. The first student, known as A., was not a student of Elon, but was experiencing an emotional crisis when a friend suggested he speak with Elon. A. claims that, on two separate occasions, Elon hugged him, had him lie down on his stomach, then kissed and caressed him. Elon claims that he does not recall meeting A. He says that if they did meet, it is conceivable that he kissed A. as a means of consolation, but not for sexual gratification.

The second student, B., claimed that Elon placed his foot between his legs, had him sit on Elon’s knees, hugged him, patted him on the stomach and knees, as well as kissing him on the face.

Both A. and B. said that Elon recited the ‘priestly blessing’ after his acts.

At one time, Elon was considered to be one of the most prominent of the new generation of leaders within the national religious camp. He was the head of Horev Yeshiva high school from 1987 until 2002, at which time he was named head of Yeshivat Hakotel, where he remained until 2006. He is the son of former Supreme Court justice Menachem Elon, and brother of former MK Benjamin (Benny) Elon and of Beersheba District Court judge Yoseph Elon.