Haaretz investigation claims: ZAKA chairman attacked children, boys, girls and women - for years
A righteous man who has been wronged or a dangerous sex offender?
Judah silk silk
Photo:
Oren Ben Hakon - Archive
The chairman of the ZAKA organization and winner of the Israel Prize, Yehuda Meshi Zahav, allegedly attacked children, boys, girls and women - this was claimed in an investigation published last night on the Haaretz website.
Golden Silk denied the allegations and said: "There is no dawn to things, I do not know how I can restore my good name in light of the irreversible damage done to me."
In Haaretz's investigation, published by Aharon Rabinowitz and Shira Elek, the testimonies of six of his alleged victims of gold silk were presented, but it was alleged that in practice he committed a much larger number of sexual assaults.
It was further argued that gold silk exploited the willingness of many young Haredi ZAKA volunteer to take advantage of them sexually.
Among other things, the investigation alleges that gold silk used to "pay" his victims using money and gifts he gave them - and through sexual encounters with escort girls which would enclose them To some of these encounters, Golden Silk attached one of his relatives, according to one of the testimonies published in Haaretz.
According to the investigation, some of the young women allegedly exploited by Golden Silk called him a "righteous man" and testified that he supported them financially, but they also described harsh and blatant sexual acts he committed on them, including acts of humiliation.
One of the male victims of Golden Silk claimed that he used to perform obscene acts on him in the synagogue where they prayed together, while he was only five years old.
According to him, the members of the modesty guards of the ultra-Orthodox community, to which Golden Silk once belonged, knew about the things and tried to bring about the severance of the connection between the two.
A source knows something that he spoke with "Israel Today" generally confirmed the correctness of the allegations made in the Haaretz investigation, without specifically confirming any of the evidence presented in it.
According to him, the deeds of gold silk were known for many years in ultra-Orthodox circles.
According to the source, after announcing the winning of the Israel Silk Award for the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2001, he turned to a senior figure in the ultra-Orthodox sector and asked her how to deal with the problematic situation. "He is not considered with us
."
Following the investigations, a criminal investigation was opened into the matter, which branched out into an investigation into sexual offenses attributed to Golden Silk and his two brothers, Rami and Moshe.
The latter left the country, returned to Israel about a year ago and died a few months ago.
Finally, in February 2014, the investigation file in the case of Yehuda Meshi Zahav was closed on the grounds of lack of evidence, after the girls who testified at the police station refused to file a formal complaint against him.
According to the source who spoke with "Israel Today", "it is a pity that the acts attributed to gold silk will now stain the entire ultra-Orthodox society, since in practice it has not belonged to it for many years."
In response to the Haaretz investigation, Meshi Zahav said: "I received the request for the first time this afternoon. The request addressed to me included obscure and anonymous allegations that go back decades
.
I asked to have a meeting - it was denied.
I was required to respond to the article, which seeks to carry out a 'targeted thwarting' within me, within two hours.
"I would like to point out that it seems to me that the Haaretz newspaper has fallen victim to commercial and economic interests who have been working for a long time to cause me harm. Among other things, after my children enlisted in the IDF, two of them for combat service, after lighting a beacon and saying 'for the glory of the State of Israel', and now, after announcing my victory in the Israel Prize.
"To this must be added the criticism I make from time to time of some of the extremist leadership in the ultra - Orthodox sector." Since learning of winning the Israel Prize, I have been the focus of various telephone threats.
After my parents passed away we called me and expressed joy at their deaths.
They spat at me as I walked down the street.
Terrible messages were sent to me, some of which I also passed on to the Haaretz newspaper.
Unfortunately this is part of the price I pay for the way I chose.
"I can not comment beyond that on a general request without details. I will mention only in relation to one concrete claim that was made, in contrast to other obscure claims, concerning the boarding school in Jerusalem, that a police investigation was conducted that mainly concerned my brother
. Eliminate an account 'with me, and unfortunately also eliminate me.
As long as my strength is up to me, I will continue to serve the people of Israel and the State of Israel as I have done all my life. "