Arrests Of Money Laundering Rabbis "Antisemitism"

Shas MK, haredi editors say FBI motivated by hatred of Jews.

'FBI sting was a case of anti-Semitism'
Matthew Wagner , THE JERUSALEM POST

Anti-Semitism was behind the highly publicized arrests last week of rabbis, including three from the Aleppo-Syrian Jewish community in New York and New Jersey, according to Yitzhak Kakun, editor-in-chief of the Shas weekly Yom Le'Yom.

"There is a feeling here that the FBI purposely attempted to arrest as many rabbis as possible at once in an attempt to humiliate them," Kakun said in a telephone interview Sunday.

"Regardless of the details of the case - I am not familiar with the precise charges and the evidence - you would never see the FBI and police behaving that way with Muslim sheikhs or Christian priests. It is so obvious that the whole thing is motivated by anti-Semitism," he said.

Kakun added that he planned on devoting the editorial of his paper to an attack on the Obama administration for attempting to whip up anti-Semitic feelings against the Orthodox Jewish community in the US.

Meanwhile, Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev said US police authorities had deliberately created the false impression that members of the Aleppo community were somehow connected with organ trafficking and extortion, when in reality their only crime was money-laundering.

"There is absolutely no connection between the rabbis from the Aleppo community and those others," said Ze'ev, who was once a rabbi for the Aleppo community in Brooklyn and continues to pray with the community on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

"The US police are trying to make it seem as though there is some kind of Jewish mafia," he said.

Ze'ev was referring to impression some media outlets had given by calling the group of rabbis involved the "Kosher Nostra," a play on the words "Cosa Nostra."

He also rejected any special connections between Shas and the Aleppo Jewish community in the US.

"Saul Kassin [one of the suspects in the money-laundering scheme] is a man who contributes to many different causes, many of them very Zionistic," said Ze'ev.

"He helps various charitable institutions in Israel and he has also helped fund IDF projects," added Ze'ev. "We are not talking about a community that is particularly supportive of Shas. They are much more Zionist and nationalist."

Members of the Aleppo Jewish community who were arrested on suspicion of money laundering are Eliyahu Ben-Haim, rabbi of Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, New Jersey; Edmond Nahum of the Deal Synagogue; and Saul Kassin of Shaarei Zion Synagogue in Brooklyn.

Ben-Haim is known to have ties to Yehaveh Da'at, a Torah institution headed by Rabbi David Yosef, the son of Shas mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Members of the Aleppo community contributed to the construction of its large building, located near the elder Yosef's home in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood.

Two other Orthodox Jews - Mordechai Fish of Congregation Sheves Achim, and Label Schwartz - were also charged with money-laundering.

Another man, Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn, was charged with allegedly acquiring and trading in human organs.

Ze'ev claimed there was no connection between the members of the Aleppo community and the others, besides their mutual connections with Solomon Duek, an Aleppo Jew charged with bank fraud in 2006 who apparently turned FBI informant.

Revelations regarding the money-laundering came after the haredi community in Israel had been the subject of several negative media reports.

In recent weeks, a haredi woman from Beit Shemesh known as the "Taliban mother," due to her custom of wearing multiple layers of clothing and covering all parts of her body, including her face and hands, was convicted of child abuse.

Meanwhile, another haredi woman from Jerusalem's Mea She'arim neighborhood was accused recently of starving her three-year-old son. Her arrest sparked a string of violent street demonstrations and clashes between groups of haredim and police in the capital.

Moshe Grylak, editor-in-chief of the haredi weekly Mishpacha, said the recent spate of bad publicity had put the haredi community in Israel on the defensive.

"The secular population is convinced we are a bunch of Talibans who starve their children and money-launder," said Grylak, who argued that the local media had broken the rules of journalistic ethics by labeling the perpetrators as haredi.

"And on top of it all, we are also a bunch of parasites who don't work," he said. "It's been a tough time for us. And Tisha Be'av is just around the corner."

Grylak added that the FBI had purposely created a media fanfare around the US incident in an attempt to cover up the bureau's failures in uncovering the Madoff scam.

"It was obvious they were trying to prove something, trying to show they were capable," he said.

Both Grylak and Ze'ev were concerned about possible anti-Semitic repercussions from the incident.

"After Madoff, now there is this. I'm frankly concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism in the US," said Grylak.

The FBI was not responsible for investigation Madoff, the SEC was.

Past that, i think the following link tells us a lot about why Shas is screaming antisemitism. If reports are true, their nonprofits could be stripped of US nonprofit status. Worse than that, some Shas officials may end up being indicted:

Shas Nonprofits Allegedly Used To Launder Dwek's Money, US Arrests Spur Israel Police Investigation.

[Hat Tip: steve.

Comments

[aeymour]

Funny,

the editor never mentioned one important thing that could help the frum community, change your behavior

[Hometown Postville]

I was just waiting for this cop-out explanation! No accountability!

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

"And on top of it all, we are also a bunch of parasites who don't work,"

Well, if the shoe fits.

[Isa]

""""you would never see the FBI and police behaving that way with Muslim sheikhs""""

Ever hear of the Holyland Foundation? Well a bunch of Islamists crazies got convicted cause the money went to Hamas- I think the trial was in Houston, many other examples too!

Kakun better not be planning any trips to the USA soon

[someone]

The situtations around the world are very sad

[nobody]

I understand why Shas is lashing out against the Feds. Whether it's true about them or not, it seems justified for them to suggest the possibility....

The Feds tried to entrap Rav Yosef's son.... Can you guess why that is?

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/168564

Clearly they want/wanted to take down Shas or at least blackmail/pressure Rav Yosef. His son would be the bargaining chip. Rabbi Yosef and Shas have become a big obstacle to the US-Israeli plans to divide Jerusalem and create a Fakestinian state lately, by my understanding. They would have pressured him to save his son by complying with whatever Bibi and Obama say.

That's my interpretation.

[Shmarya]

Here's the story nobody lined to:

Ovadia Yosef's Son Resisted Dwek's Illegal Temptation

Reported: 03:05 AM - Jul/27/09
Follow Israel news briefs on and .

(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi David Yosef, the son of Shas party spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef, resisted a bribe offered by state's witness Solomon Dwek in the American investigation that resulted in the arrest of 44 people on charges of bribery or money laundering last week, according to a report by News One on Sunday.

The report says that Dwek came to the younger Rabbi Yosef and offered to cash $25,000 for him in exchange for a percentage of the money, claiming he had nothing to eat and that the rabbi was obligated to save him. The rabbi was careful enough to refuse and say he did not deal in such matters. The attempted transaction was recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Dwek, a real-estate developer, religious-school head and philanthropist from Ocean Township, was charged with defrauding PNC bank out of $25 million in 2006. The FBI used him to make contact with the politicians and rabbis from New York and New Jersey last week.

This story makes no sense at all.

[Reader]

Is the following entrapment or not?
(For several years before 9/11 the FBI was concentrating its efforts on one "terrorist organization" - the Jewish Defense League/Kach)

"Ovadia Yosef's Son Resisted Dwek's Illegal Temptation

Reported: 03:05 AM - Jul/27/09
Follow Israel news briefs on and .

(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi David Yosef, the son of Shas party spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef, resisted a bribe offered by state's witness Solomon Dwek in the American investigation that resulted in the arrest of 44 people on charges of bribery or money laundering last week, according to a report by News One on Sunday.

The report says that Dwek came to the younger Rabbi Yosef and offered to cash $25,000 for him in exchange for a percentage of the money, CLAIMING HE HAD NOTHING TO EAT AND THAT THE RABBI WAS OBLIGATED TO SAVE HIM. The rabbi was careful enough to refuse and say he did not deal in such matters. The attempted transaction was recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Dwek, a real-estate developer, religious-school head and philanthropist from Ocean Township, was charged with defrauding PNC bank out of $25 million in 2006. The FBI used him to make contact with the politicians and rabbis from New York and New Jersey last week."

[Shmarya]

The story as written makes no sense.

Assuming the Israelis writing and translating it confused details because they do not understand American law, if in the past Yosef had laundered money – and he may have trough his nonprofit – it is absolutely not entrapment.

[Reader]

This story makes sense to me. (BTW, the site is run by native English speakers who live in Israel and are also fluent in Hebrew.)
"The attempted transaction was recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
The FBI has followed and "stung" the community for 3 years with the help of their agent-provocateur Dwek. The FBI had known about Rabbi David Yosef's visit. The FBI had ordered Dwek who was wired with the recording device to "sting" R. Yosef by appealing to R. Yosef's Jewish heart (rachmonus). It didn't work as the FBI recording shows. Apparently the rabbi realized that Dwek was up to no good.

[Shmarya]

PLease.

1. How does anyone know about the recording? All that information is sealed unless it appears in the formal complaints – and it does not appear there.

2. Why would Yosef need to launder money in America? He isn't paying taxes here.

3. What illegal money could Yosef have here that he needs to launder?

4. Unlike Israel, the fees for cashing foreign currency checks are rather small. Why use the black market?

[nobody]

Shmarya isn't it obvious? I am surprised that you fail to put 2 and 2 together. It is very simple, as Reader said. They knew the raids were going down as they had all the evidence and case was already broken wide open. They also knew Rav Yosef's son was scheduled to a visit to the community. So they delayed the arrests and sent in their boy (Dwek) to try to hook a big fish that they could link into the scandal and arrest along with all the others. They failed to get their man, and the arrests proceeded after Rav Yosef's son left the country, instead.

[Shmarya]

Shmarya isn't it obvious?

It wouldn't be obvious to most people, especially people with knowledge of how law enforcement in the US works.

The story is full of holes.

[Ben]

In this story, if Rav Yosef is a good man, why he simply not offered Dweik something to eat?

[Reader]

Ben, may be the food wasn't handy?
Besides, offering to cash a $25,000.00 check seems like a peculiar way of begging for food (and Dwek hardly looks malnourished).

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

The NYC metro area media did not devote a lot of coverage to the rabbis who were arrested. The wrath came down on elected politicians and public officials.

[shmuel]

"Regardless of the details of the case - I am not familiar with the precise charges and the evidence -"
Yasher koach. You know nothing and admit it. So keep quiet.

[Jerome Soller]

Well, the Jerusalem Post refused to show my comments there, after I blasted Kakun. The man is a disgrace. His perspective has so many holes, from the special targeting of Jews (see HolyLand foundation) etc....

Bavarian, why you don't feel the NYC media focused on the rabbis, I had several relatives from New York call me about the rabbis. The national media devoted a significant amount of coverage to the rabbis arrested. These five "rabbis" and their apologists brought this on themselves.

In my mind, what the "kidney" rabbi did was worse than Madoff. However, as a result, every anti-Semitic group in the world (from the Palestinian terrorist organizations to Stormfront) is discussing this as validation of their blood libels against Jews.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

Jerome,
I should have stated that local media coverage stories first named politicians, then rabbis. Here are a few examples:
A local TV station:
http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-dozens-arrested-money-laundering,0,5653875.story

A local newspaper:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/23/2009-07-23_2_new_jersey_mayors_arrested_in_sweeping_money_laundering_probe.html

A local all-news radio station:
http://www.wcbs880.com/Corruption-Sweep-Nabs-Mayors--Rabbis/4860167

It was the lead story in the news all day long.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

This from the Star-Ledger, based in Newark, NJ:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/new_jersey_corruption_sweep_re.html

[Ben]

Politicians are a bigger problem, because the culture of corruption among the SY rabbis effects mostly Jewish community, while culture of corruption among our elected officials effects entire public. Thus naming people in this order is correct.

[maven]

The NYT sunday review only mentioned the politicians.

[John]

How can ultra-religious people be so involved in fraud and abuse and other forms of dishonesty?

I am really looking for an answer.

How do people who have two kitchens in their homes and never miss a religious holiday and who spend all day every day for all of their lives studying the Talmud end up perpetrating such massive scams? Does anyone else not see the contradictions?

Is the purpose of Judaism to keep them honest/moral?
Or is it just an end in itself?
Are they keeping the mitzvot just so they can "be Jewish"?

[Ben]

I'm struggling with the same questions John. It seems to me that some of the ultras misplace their emphasis.

Keeping things in the perspective we should admit that as disgusting as this case looks it proves only the their ultras claim for moral superiority is dubious at best.

To say however that they are somehow are more prevalent to crime will be completely unsubstantiated. Even organ scheme described by the feds is very benign compared to the more common violent cases. In India tens of thousands of people are harvested of organs all the time. Little kids have their eyes gouged, livers taken (which leads to death of the donor). Chinese are selling on international open market organs of imprisoned FaLunGong, who they kill to sell their organs. Organ harvesters in Africa pay $300 per kidney... etc. This ger hasid slime Rosenbaum looks very generous compare to them, he've paid $10,000 per kidney according to Feds. Its all disgusting. These criminals must be inprisoned, but don't show it as anything specifically Haredi. Again, Haredim lost their claim to moral superiority in my opinion.

[Hometown Postville]

There is so much evil in the world. [Little kids have their eyes gouged, livers taken (which leads to death of the donor).]

[NotParticularlyFrumButSickOfBS]

I once heard a story about a German Holocaust survivor, who remarked:

"When I was a kid, the nazis would spit on us the Jews would say "it's only raining." In America, whenever it rains, we yell "they're spitting on us again!" (That goes quadruple for Israel)

Perhaps if people didn't commit crimes they wouldn't have these problems.

[Moshe]

No, the FBI are motivated by a hatred of crime and they have just started to make inroads into a giant criminal network.

[William Dwek]

The Swine Flu is common in PIGS.

This is a clear indication that it is the Dayanim – ‘Judges’ - and ‘Rabbis’ of today who are the PIGS and swines.

They twist and use the Torah for their own power and commercial benefit.

They are corrupt. And they are interested in only one thing:

MONEY.

Not the Torah.

[William Dwek]

When ‘dayanim’ and ‘rabbis’ use the Torah for their own power and commercial profit, this is the behaviour of a swine i.e. a Pig.

No other ‘rabbi’ will ever act against another ‘rabbi’ - even when he knows his colleague is clearly desecrating the Torah. Each rabbi is only worried about losing his own position.

Therefore, the ‘rabbi’ and ‘dayan’ will never effect justice. And he will never truly stand for the Torah or the Honour of Hashem. His pocket will always prevail.

The Torah must never be used for commercial gain and profit. Am Yisrael can only be lead by those who have the necessary love and respect of Hashem and the Torah.

[William Dwek]

1. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may use lies. They turn the innocent into the guilty, and the guilty, become the innocent. They will not hesitate to tell lies in the Synagogue.

2. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may steal. They steal and siphon off money for themselves, from the community and individuals.

3. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may shame a Jew in public, even repeatedly. This is one of the most vile acts of murder in Jewish law – and they know this.

4. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ will not hesitate to use Lashon Hara - the ‘Evil Tongue’ - to suit his own ends. Slander and gossip. This too, is one of the worst acts of murder in Jewish Law. Their slander is never challenged by the community, because they hold positions of power. And the slander may begin with the Rebbetzin herself.

5. The ‘dayanim’ and ‘rabbis’ worship idols and other gods. Their only god is Money. Especially the ‘Dayanim’ – the ‘Judges’ who sit on a Beit Din. They only care about their high incomes and retirement packages. They have little or no love for the Torah or Hashem.

In the case of Lubavitch/Chabad, all their rabbis are carrying out a form of Avodah Zarah – strange worship. They are using mediation and intercession. This is completely forbidden, and against the Torah. We are only allowed to pray to Hashem, directly ourselves.

6. When the NAME of Hashem has been taken in Vain – repeatedly - by reshaim, the ‘rabbi’ will turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the

CHILLUL HASHEM.

This is the abhorrent behaviour of a Pig.

This is an extremely severe and dangerous situation.

There is NO forgiveness for this evil sin and aveirah.

7. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may also offer large bribes, tell lies and bring False Witnesses – when he in fact has committed the crime. These are heinous acts of the most despicable kind. This is especially vile when the ‘dayan’ is sitting on a ‘Beit Din.’

8. The ‘rabbi’ may commit adultery. And when he gets divorced, he may spread slander about his own ex-wife, blackening her name – when in fact he was at fault.

9. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may also desecrate Shabbat – if it suits him. He will use physical violence to assault another Jew or Jewess at any time. This evil and venomous behaviour is 100% against the Torah.

[jojodesal]

To all of the would - be lawyers out there, the FBI stings were NOT entrapment. Sorry, but they just don't fit the legal definition by any means, and the defense will not even try to argue that point at trial. In fact, I suspect that most of them will end up cutting deals with the prosecution for fines, probation, and minimal jail time.

That being said, I also do not believe the arrests were motivated by anti-semitism. The feds like to make examples out of people when they see a larger problem in a whole community. That is why they had such a strong desire to parade the rabbis in front of the camera in handcuffs etc. White collar criminals are rarely handcuffed and usually not even arrested raid style. oftentimes a surrender agreement is negotiated in lieu of arrest. But the feds wanted to scare the orthodox community, and I think it worked.

As someone who lived in the orthodox world for many years, various forms of fraud have become extremely commonplace. The Feds have been aware of this for quite some time and decided it had to come to an end.

As far as the Shas thing goes...sounds plausible, but even if its true I am sure it was an added bonus rather than the modus opperandi for the investigation.

If anti-semitism comes into play, it will be in the trial or during sentencing. But even then I suspect that the worst judges would be the Jewish ones who have a strong desire NOT to appear sympathetic to their own kind.

The problem here is not anti-semitism but rather a system of justice that has effectively widdled away due process rights down to practically nothing. federal criminal law is particularly bad in this respect. But worst of all are the recommended minimum sentencing guidelines, RICO (not even a crime by itself, just a "multiplier"), and the over broad definitions of crimes like "conspiracy" and "money laundering". All of these laws were created to help bring down drug dealers and mafiosi, but now they are being used against normal people who commit relatively minor, victimless offenses....and even, sometimes, innocent people.

Jews are by no means the only victims of an out of control and vengeful government. But now the orthodox community can see first hand what happens when you back every republican "anti-crime" initiative; ignorantly assuming that it will only be used against people you don't like.

In America, freedom for you means freedom for everybody else. Orthodox jews need to understand that.