Magen claims: 10 new testimonies were received, some of which were not subject to the statute of limitations

March 14, 2021   

The case of Yehuda Meshi Zahav: Magen's Deputy Director of Investigations, Zviki Fleischman, who accompanied several of the complainants against the chairman of the ZAKA organization, said this morning (Sunday), in an interview with Aryeh Golan on Channel 2, that his organization received about 10 new testimonies against Yehuda Meshi-Zhahav, and that some of them were not subject to the statute of limitations. In Israel, speeding is the norm: Why do we drive fast? According to him, "The pattern is the same: using his power and position to harm. Some of the things are the highest level of harm. Not harassment. I hope the police will have the motivation to pursue this criminally." In an interview, Fleishman said that the rumors about Meshi Zahav's actions were known to his organization and the police as early as 2013, but they did not mature into an investigation. "The police knew, investigated him and did nothing. There was a complaint, but the case went nowhere. The number of testimonies that are emerging now indicates how easy it is to gather evidence about that person. I'm sure his entourage is not surprised either. The police have sources. The police accepted Meshi Zahav for questioning and closed the case with the suspicions against him. It sounds puzzling to me in light of the many testimonies that are now being published. A little effort by the police could have led to an investigation of the truth many years ago." Fleishman wondered whether the closure of the case against Meshi Zahav stemmed from his connections with the Jerusalem police. "I don't know if it's related to the closing of the case against him. It could be because of ZAKA activity or maybe because of personal connections. I don't know what was there." He noted that the victims are sure that they won't be believed. "How can you complain about a well-known person with an apparently good image? You have to prove maturity here and understand that despite the appreciation for the person, he also has other sides and you have to believe the victims. There is a reason here to examine why the complaints that were filed did not mature into a real investigation. If they find that there was something not kosher, they need to investigate. The Police Department needs to examine the police's conduct in the case that they closed.".