The police recommend that the rabbi of Holon, Rabbi Avraham Yosef, be prosecuted: The Lahav 433 Investigation Unit has completed its investigation into the suspected commission of extortion, fraud, and breach of trust offenses by the rabbi of Holon, who also served as the head of kashrut in the Or Yehuda municipality between 2008-2011.
The investigation was opened in 2012, following materials that were transferred to the Attorney General from the State Comptroller's Office and after their review by the State Attorney's Office.
During the investigation, numerous messages were collected, various involved parties were questioned under caution, and relevant documents were seized.
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It is suspected that, in his role as the rabbi of the city of Holon and even while serving as the supervisor of kashrut in the Or Yehuda municipality, Rabbi Avraham Yosef instituted an improper policy in the field of kashrut certificates, according to which business owners who wanted 'Mehadrin' type kosher certificates were forced to purchase meat and food products that were under the supervision of the 'Beit Yosef' Kashrut Department - both by threatening to deny eligibility for a Mehadrin kosher certificate and by failing to provide suitable alternatives, contrary to the instructions of the Chief Rabbinate.
The head of the Investigations Division accepted the investigative unit's position that an evidentiary foundation had been formed against the suspect for committing the offenses of extortion through threats, fraud, and breach of trust.
The case was recently transferred to the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, which accompanied the case, for a decision.
Following the investigation opened against Rabbi Avraham Yosef, during the elections for the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel, his father, the Gra'a Yosef, decided that his younger son, the Gaon Yitzhak Yosef, would run in his place for the position of Rishon LeZion.
