The Edri family: They demand that Rubinstein be brought to justice - and that he be fired.'

December 14, 2021   

The Supreme Court has approved the publication of the name of the ultra-Orthodox mayor suspected of involvement in the murder of the late Avi Edri in 1990 as the mayor of Beitar Illit, Meir Rubinstein. Rubinstein was arrested after the investigation into the murder and disappearance in Jerusalem began more than 30 years ago, and was recently released. Rubinstein filed a petition with the Supreme Court to prevent his name from being published in the case - but today the panel of judges ruled that his name can be revealed. The Edri family said in response to the publication of the name of the mayor of Beitar Illit as a suspect in the murder: "We welcome the publication of Meir Rubinstein's name as one of those involved in the murder of the father of the family. It is not understood that a serving mayor in Israel who admitted involvement in the murder will be released from detention and return to serve as a public emissary and receive a salary from the state. "We demand that the prosecutor's office make every effort to bring Rubinstein to justice - and that the Interior Ministry dismiss him immediately." In an interview with Esti Perez on Channel 2, Itzik Edri, the murdered man's brother, said: "The mayor who was involved in the murder is not allowed to hold office, he must resign immediately." He added that despite the statute of limitations on the affair, "We are doing everything we can to bring the guilty to justice. The police screwed up big time about 31 years ago when they released the suspect, who told them she knew who committed the murder, and they have many more screwups." Attorney Ariel Atari, defense attorney for the mayor of Beitar Illit, said in an interview on Channel 2 that his client had no involvement in the case. "He studied at the Shuvo Boys community many years ago, and nothing more than that, like any other student." Regarding the attempt to ban the publication of his name in the affair, he said: "We tried to prevent his name from being tarnished. The fact that he was released shortly after his arrest says it all. Life goes on as usual. Since he has nothing to do with the affair, he is calm and relaxed, it's behind him. The next step is to close the case." In one of the court hearings about three weeks ago, the police claimed that the mayor was present at the murder of the late Avi Edri, 41, in 1990. The police also claimed that he acted with others, and together they led to the murder. According to testimonies, Rubinstein, who was about 18 at the time, posed as a "temptation girl": he was disguised as a woman and drove a vehicle that took Edri, who followed him, to the scene of the murder in the Ramot Forest - where other people involved were also present. Rabbi Eliezer Berland ordered Edri to be castrated, those involved beat him vigorously and he died. They later reported that it was a "work accident." Rubinstein denied his involvement in the affair throughout all stages of his interrogation. On behalf of Beitar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein, a statement was issued in response: "The mayor has no connection to the serious affair, and he has no idea how his name got involved in this shocking and delusional story. "His connection to the incident is similar to his connection to the murder of Arlozorov. The mayor is strengthening the hands of the police and wishes the investigation team great success in bringing justice and apprehending the criminals.".