Israeli minister investigated over ‘interference in Leifer extradition case’

A senior Israeli politician is being investigated over allegations he interfered in the extradition of a former Australian principal.

Dassi Erlich, left, with her sister Nicole Meyer. Picture: Aaron Francis

A senior Israeli politician is being investigated over explosive allegations he interfered in the extradition of a former Australian school principal accused of sex­ually abusing her students at a Jewish Orthodox school in Melbourne.

Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman was interviewed by police on Thursday over allegations he intervened in an expert medical opinion in a bid to have Malka Leifer officially ­declared mentally unfit to stand at her extradition trial, Israeli media reported yesterday.

Mr Litzman is chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah ­Judaism party and The Times of ­Israel reported he had been questioned by police and said the interrogation was the result of a long-running secret investigation.

His office released a statement denying all wrongdoing. “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.”

Ms Leifer was principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick in Melbourne’s southeast and was accused of sexually abusing female students in 2008.

Ms Leifer, an Israeli-Australian dual national, fled for Israel the night complaints were lodged against her, assisted by some members of the school community. She faces 74 counts of sexual abuse and has been fighting her extradition for years.

She was arrested in Israel in 2014 after the Australian government filed extradition papers but was declared mentally unfit to stand trial in 2016. In February that year she was found to be faking her mental status.

Ms Leifer and Mr Litzman are both part of Gur, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect.

Two of Ms Leifer’s accusers from the Melbourne Adass school, sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, have been waiting for justice for a long time. “All we want is to face our abuser in an Australian court,” Ms Erlich said.

Ms Meyer said she was relieved Mr Litzman was being investigated as the sisters had long suspected Ms Leifer was being protected. “Really it’s good news someone is looking into the health minister,” she said.

The sisters met Mr Litzman in Israel in 2017. “He didn’t want to see us,” she said. “He looked at us very seriously and said ‘I will not support her extradition but I will not interfere’.”

Ms Erlich said facing her alleged abuser in court would allow her to finally move on.

“It would mean so much, it would mean we can finally see some sense of justice and some sense of closure and be able to put this part of our life behind us.”

Victorian Labor MP Philip Dalidakis called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a full investigation into Mr Litzman’s actions. “I call upon ... Netanyahu to investigate this minister’s actions and to ensure the Department of Justice does everything to ensure her extradition to Victoria,” he said.

Ms Leifer taught at a Gur school in Bnei Brak, a city in central Israel, before Melbourne’s Adass community recruited her to Australia in 2000. Her case is listed for Monday — the 46th time since she was first arrested.