After approving a plea agreement, the Yerushalayim District Court imposed a custodial sentence on Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rompler, ordering him to serve 24 months behind bars, less time already spent in detention. The ruling also included suspended sentences, a fine of 10,000 shekels, and an order to pay 12,000 shekels in compensation to the victim.
In its decision, the court described the incident in stark terms, writing that “the facts detailed in the first count, which concerns the assault, are severe and chilling,” and stressing that the violence displayed especially serious characteristics.
Rompler was convicted of aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm after he struck a 10-year-old boy in front of other students within the Lev Tahor cult. The verdict noted that the attack took place publicly, in the presence of the child’s peers.
The court also found Rompler guilty of breaching a legal order by leaving Israel despite a stay of exit order and evading the proceedings. He fled the country while the case was pending.
Following his escape, Rompler was apprehended abroad and returned to Israel through an extradition process carried out by the International Department of the State Prosecution.
During sentencing submissions, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office, represented by attorney Tzur Huta, underscored the extraordinary gravity of the offense. Prosecutors pointed to the abuse of a position of authority within a closed community, the targeting of a defenseless minor, and the fact that the violence occurred in front of other children.
{Matzav.com}An Israeli High Court hearing on Thursday placed a spotlight on the government’s handling of budget transfers to chareidi educational institutions, after the state acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of the funds in question were moved improperly.
During the session, state attorney Neta Oren conceded that about 90 percent of the one billion shekels transferred was not carried out in accordance with legal requirements. She told the court that the transfer followed established procedures, saying that “there is such a practice” of moving funds in this manner. Justice Yael Wilner rejected that explanation, replying, “This is not legal.”
Justice Wilner also questioned the legal basis for the timing of the transfers, noting that most of the money appeared to have been moved before approval by the Knesset Finance Committee. Turning to the state’s representative, she asked pointedly, “By what authority?”
Earlier in the hearing, Justice Wilner sharply criticized the Knesset’s representative for failing to present the Finance Committee protocol, underscoring its importance by stating, “The protocol is the heart of the matter”.
The petition was filed by the Yesh Atid party, which argued that the funds were directed to chareidi institutions that do not teach core curriculum subjects and are not subject to state supervision, in violation of existing law.
Separately, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed the court on Wednesday that she supports lifting the interim order that froze the transfer. She added that if it is ultimately determined that money was allocated to institutions that fail to meet the required criteria, the sums could be offset or deducted at a later stage.
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s Health Ministry renewed its call for vaccinations and caution around outbreaks after reporting another fatality linked to measles, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease to 13. Most of those who have died were infants who had been otherwise healthy but had not received the measles vaccine.
Health officials stressed the importance of early intervention, saying: “Timely medical treatment upon the onset of symptoms or suspicion of infection saves lives.”
The ministry reiterated that measles can be prevented through a safe and effective vaccine, which is routinely recommended for children at ages one and six. In regions experiencing outbreaks, the second dose is advised at 18 months, and vaccination is recommended even for infants between 6 and 11 months old.
The latest case involved an 11-month-old baby who had no prior medical conditions but had not been vaccinated. The infant’s condition deteriorated rapidly after contracting measles-related complications.
Hospital officials said the baby was transferred on Wednesday from another medical facility to Hadassah Medical Center in critical condition. Upon arrival, the infant was placed on an ECMO machine, with the pediatric intensive care unit team working intensively for several hours in an effort to stabilize her.
Despite those efforts, the baby succumbed to the illness on Thursday evening. In a statement released afterward, the medical center said, “We share in the family’s sorrow.”
In light of the ongoing outbreak, the Health Ministry advised unvaccinated individuals, as well as parents of infants who received only a single early dose, to avoid large gatherings in affected areas due to the heightened risk of infection.
{Matzav.com}
