Senior politician in Israel quizzed over fugitive teacher Malka Leifer’s case

A senior politician has been questioned by police in Israel over allegations he used his position to try to help fugitive schoolteacher Malka Leifer avoid extradition to Australia.

A senior politician has been questioned by police in Israel over allegations he used his position to try to help fugitive schoolteacher Malka Leifer avoid extradition to Australia.

Police have confirmed Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman has been interviewed over whether he used his government position to assist Leifer, who has avoided extradition to Australia for 10 years after being accused of 74 counts of sexually abusing her students at the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, Melbourne.

Leifer was assisted in escaping to Israel by members of the ultra-Orthodox community connected to the school, flying out of Australia the night she found out complaints had been lodged against her.

Malka Leifer, right. Picture: AFP

She was then protected in the ultra-Orthodox community of Emmanuel, in the West Bank, until an undercover operation by police and activist groups saw her charged with faking the mental illness which had led the courts to decide she was too unwell to be extradited.

She has since been found well enough to be extradited, but has appealed and the case remains bogged down in the courts.

Mr Litzman is the chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party. According to the Times of Israel, he is alleged to have sought to draft a legal opinion deeming Leifer as mentally unfit for extradition.

He has appeared before the police anti-corruption unit on suspicion of ethical violations. Police said an undercover operation had been running for some months.

Israeli Health Minister Yaakov Litzman. Picture: AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov

Channel 13 reported some members of his office were also investigated.

Mr Litzman’s office released a statement after police revealed the investigation, saying he had done nothing wrong.

“Deputy Minister of Health, PM Yaakov Litzman, was invited today to the police due to a matter regarding a public appeal for help,’’ it said.

“Litzman gave his full version and answered all questions necessary.

“Minister Deputy Litzman is sure and convinced his hands are clean and will continue to assist any request that will arrive to his office subject to the law and standard procedure”.

Leifer’s case is listed again in court on Monday in what will be the 46th listing since she was first arrested in Israel.

She is not expected to appear.

Mr Litzman has previously made clear his position on Leifer, and the three Australian sisters who have lodged complaints against her, Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper.

According to Israeli media outlet Plus61J, he told the Knesset (Parliament) “I told the survivors of Malka Leifer ‘I have already heard the other side of the story, I want nothing to do with this. I will not support your extradition, but I will also not interfere’.’’

Ms Erlich, who has been campaigning for years for Leifer to be brought back to Australia to face the charges, wrote on Facebook that: “Waiting this many years for justice has been tremendously difficult and painful.

“However we waited patiently with the understanding that these criminal proceedings take time. To learn that this may in fact be due to corruption is truly devastating,’’ she said.

“We hope this will be a significant step as the pieces come together to paint a clearer picture and bring us the justice we’ve been fighting for.’’

Manny Waks, a Melbourne man who heads the Kol v’Oz victims advocacy group, said: “We have long suspected high level interference in the Malka Leifer case, and these serious allegations confirms the ongoing suspicion many have regarding this case.

“While we must await the investigation’s conclusion, Litzman’s appalling track record speaks for itself. He defended his recent visit to convicted sex offender, Rabbi Eliezer Berland, while he informed Leifer’s alleged victims in a chance encounter at the Knesset that he does not support them or Leifer’s extradition. Litzman has shown his true colours in the past.

“We hope and expect that justice will prevail.”

Originally published as Senior politician in Israel quizzed over fugitive teacher Malka Leifer’s case