חשיפה: הרב משה פטרון מהתנחלות בית אל חשוד במעשים מגונים והטרדות מיניות
UPDATE: An Israeli relative of Moshe Patron has written to warn me that there is an Israeli gag order against naming him. He directs me to remove this post. Apparently, he doesn’t realize that Israeli gag orders don’t apply in America (though they do if you’re Twitter and you censor tweets exposing the name of Israeli sex crime suspects). Yet another reason why press freedom in Israel falls far short of western democratic values.
In yet another example of Israel as a state which abuses privacy in order to protect sex offenders, an Israeli judge gagged reporting on a case in which an Israeli settler rabbi allegedly traveled to a woman’s home in the Beit El settlement, stood outside and masturbated. Afterward, he attempted to break into her home. The story was originally reported in Sheldon Adelson’s NRG (the same article has not yet been removed from this site). The article mentioned that the rabbi had weeks earlier attempted twice to attack the same victim. During that instance he arrived masked and wearing gloves. After attempting to call her numerous times using a masked phone number, he attempted to break into the home. After this failed, he left the premises. It wasn’t clear whether this was the same victim or a different woman.
In the most recent attack, he again called her repeatedly and then arrived at her home masked. After performing the sex act and attempting to break into the home, he was captured and handed over to police. They suspect that he has engaged in similar behavior in the past (involving different victims).
A court ordered the report removed (i.e. censored) in order to protect the so-called privacy of the accused. His name is Rabbi Moshe Patron. He too lives in Beit El and is a father of six children. He was one of the founders of the local yeshiva, Bnai Akiva Mateh Binyamin which has removed his name from its website (cached original webpage and current version). Up until two years ago, he also taught in the women’s college at the Bar Ilan University. The school’s website has wiped any trace of him off the site including his biography and photograph.
Some Beit El residents are publicly demanding that he leave the community. Other women remain unconvinced of his guilt and stand by him as a member of a “good family.” He has been released from police custody after his arrest on February 6th.
This is the same settlement which incoming Trump ambassador David Friedman supports financially. Jared Kushner has also donated in support of the community.
Wow, amazing piece.
You found one more settler criminal like any human society has. Oh, sorry, he wasn’t even convicted yet.
This isn’t journalism, this is a crusade of pretence.
@ Joshua Tartekovsky: I didn’t “find” anything. Israel media reported on a respected rabbi who tortured and tormented a woman. That woman was a victim. Victims deserve to have their attackers exposed. THAT’S journalism. But you seem to dislike journalism when it gores your ox. THen it’s not journalism. Interesting distinction you try to make. And hypocritical at that.
Interesting that you’re an apologist for rabbinic perverts. Tells us a lot about your prejudices. Not to mention that Israeli men seem to protect other Israeli men, even if they’re sexual deviants. At the expense of Israeli women, who seem to be disposable.
I also find it interesting that you and Judy follow my social media accounts and brought your objections here to the comment thread, when I haven’t updated the post at all. Why would you be following me on social media (where you read about the Israeli court order censoring this post) unless this was an orchestrated operation? Don’t bother answering. Your answers won’t be believable anyway. Also interesting to note that you both raised virtually the same objection in your comments here in almost identical terms. You guys really have to get your act together and be more subtle. If you’re going to tag team me, you have to come up with different objections so we won’t know that you coordinate your assault.
But I am gratified that I’m considered such a threat that I’ve got an entire hasbara operation stalking me here and via social media.
Did you at least try to figure out what happened with the case after two years?
If he wasn’t found guilty then you are just a bully digging rumors that even years later were not found to be true.
@ Judy Green: I reported on the case at the time in 2017. I have not published any update on the case. Nor have I read of any media update on the case. If you find one, let me know. I am being censored for what I wrote in 2017, not because I didn’t update my blog post now.
And if he was not prosecuted or jailed, it does not mean he didn’t engage in these acts. It only means that as a once-respected settler rabbi he was able to work the system so that he got off scot-free. You have no idea how perverted the Israeli justice system is. How easy it is for the well connected to weasel their way out of being accountable for their crimes. Take the Litzman case in which Malka ? bribed her way into a psychiatric diagnosis, which was a total sham. And I have literally reported on scores of similar cases here. Read them.
And I find it interesting that you take the side of a male sexual perdator over the side of a poor woman. Have you ever been stalked by a man? Ever had him masturbate outside your window? Ever had him call and text you scores of times? KNow what that’s like? Given how blithely you dismiss the severity of this case and side with the perpetrator, I doubt it.
No justice system is perfect. But the Israeli system is dysfunctional.
I also find it interesting that you’re an apologist for Israeli censorship. Remember freedom of the press and free speech? So you support restrictions on them and still wish to call Israel a democracy?
You are either disingenuous or naive.