Where in the world is Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the Shuvu Banim Breslov leader who abruptly fled Israel after young female followers – including some minors – accused him of sexually abusing them? He was booted out of Morocco late last week along with several dozen of his followers. Where is he now?
Rabbi Eliezer Berland
Where in the world is Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the Shuvu Banim Breslov leader who abruptly fled Israel after young female followers – including some minors – accused him of sexually abusing them?
Berland first went to Rome, Zurich and Miami but fled Miami afetr it became clear that Israel police were about to seek his extradition. So Berland fled to Marrakesh, Morocco, – a country that has no extradition treaty with Israel – where he lived openly for about seven months until he was expelled late last week after Morocco's king read a local newspaper report that documented Berland's alleged crimes and reported that Berland – and dozens of his followers – intended to make Morocco their permament home.
So where did Berland go?
Not able to go anywhere that has a functioning extradition treaty with Israel, according to the Israeli daily Ma'ariv, Berland allegedly flew to Cairo, then to Zimbabwe, and from there flew to Johannesburg, South Africa where he reportedly spent Shabbat with a relative.
Will the accused sex criminal settle there?
No one knows for sure.
But with a son and grandson under indictement in Israel for money laundering, tax evasion and related criminal charges directly linked to Berland's Shuvu Banim movement's bank accounts and several young women apparently willing to testify against him, it is unlikely Berland will voluntarily return to Israel in the near future.
[Hat Tip: YBM.]