Israeli Con Man Who Ripped Off, Raped Women Claiming He Commanded Mossad Assassination Squad, Avoids Sex Charge at Its Behest

מי מכיר/ה את עבריין המין גיל, תושב רעננה, נשוי ואב לבן? לבקשת המוסד, שמו המלא נאסר לפרסום בישראל

UPDATED: This story has been updated with new information (and here) brought to my attention by Israeli readers.

Channel 12 aired a story earlier this week of an Israeli con man in his thirties, named on-air as “Gil from Raanana,” who approached Israeli women telling them he was a Mossad recruiter who commanded “Kidon,” the agency’s assassination unit. Playing on their guile and patriotism, he told them they would have a chance to serve their country and travel the world. He groomed them by “tasking” them with assignments that would prove their capabilities as potential spies. These included having sexual intercourse with him and giving him various sums of money. He manipulated them, broke down their defences, and transformed them into his cult followers. The hellish relationship with one of the women had lasted three years.

He ended up raping and stealing from six women, who were willing to come forward to the police. The latter sought to charge him with theft and sex crimes. The prosecutor initially agreed.

But for some unknown reason, the Mossad itself intervened in the case. I’m not even sure on what basis it did so since it claimed the con man had no association with the Mossad. It offered him a deal whereby he would avoid a rape charge, only being charged with “obtaining an item of value by deceit.” He would also serve only 6 1/2 years in prison, after which he would be released without being classified as a sexual offender. Further, the State would protect his identity and place a gag order on the case so media could not report his name.

The result is that a serial rapist will probably be back on the streets in four years. He will avoid the intense level of supervision imposed on sex offenders. And Israeli women will again be subject to his con and sexual predation. They will be denied the knowledge that he is out there hunting for them once again.

When I first published this post I wasn’t aware that this case was first reported in 2017. The story revealed more information not contained in the online report from Channel 12. Apparently, “Gil” had carried on his con for at least four years, which is why there were so many female victims.

The 2017 report also identifies the judge who conducted this travesty of a legal proceeding. She is Dana Marshak-Maron, who serves in the Lod District Court. Naturally, her military service was in intelligence. Whenever a security agency has a case in court, they ensure they have a sympathetic judge who will rubber-stamp whatever outcome they seek. Judge Marshak-Marom did not disappoint.

The news segment released this statement from the Mossad:

The accused was never employed, had contact with, or acted in any capacity on behalf of the Mossad. It’s important to add that the acts which are the subject of the news report were not committed with the knowledge of the Mossad, within its facilities, or in any way connected to the Mossad or its operations. The reasons connected to the gag order have no connection to the criminal acts the accused committed, but rather to security considerations alone which we may not divulge. Each of the reasons for the gag order were brought before a court which approved it.

Excuse me, but this stinks to high heaven. And the stench stems from the lies apparent in the statement. The Mossad would never become involved in such a case unless it was implicated in some serious way. I’m not arguing that he was a Mossad agent. But the Mossad does have some culpability with this crime which it is concealing. When an Israeli security agency faces embarrassment and argues that it must suppress knowledge of an incident for national security purposes, that’s when you know it is covering up something it doesn’t want the public to know. And not in order to protect the state, but to cover its ass.

The State Prosecutor added insult to injury with this statement:

The original indictment against the accused contained a charge of sexual abuse raised by six female complainants. In the process of investigating the case, three of the victims testified in court. While hearing the evidence they offered, the court turned repeatedly to the parties and, in an exceptional manner, even to the complainants (indirectly). It suggested closing the case with only a charge of deceit [taking someone of value through deceit]; in part due to the difficulty or proving a rape charge, and in order to spare the complainants the damage that might be inflicted on them as a result of their testimony.

As a result of the repeated appeals by the court to reach a plea deal in light of its [the court’s] warning of the [slim] chances of convicting the accused on the basis of the original indictment, and in light of the stance of four of the six complainants, who offered their agreement [to the deal], it was decided [by the Prosecution] to reach a deal which was presented to the court. Similarly, the sentence agreed upon in the deal was commensurate with those of even more severe cases. That is why the punishment was found fitting for the crime.

Note the prosecutor’s implied swipe at the judge for pressuring the victims “repeatedly” and engaging in the unprecedented behavior of approaching all six victims (even ones who were not testifying) to compel them to accept a rotten plea deal. In other words, the judge was “all in” for the spooks. Further, why would a judge pressure rape victims to accept such a shoddy deal? Why does Israeli justice collude with the intelligence and security apparatus to rubber-stamp such arrangements?

If I’ve heard the argument that the Israeli judicial system must go easy on rapists in order to protect the fragile female victim, I’ve heard it a thousand times. Judges even protect male abusers accused of harming their children with the claim that making minors testify would cause them future trauma. As a result, the abuser gets off and the system wipes its hands of the matter.

Why is it that Israeli women are always sold out in such cases? Either the police don’t believe them and refuse to investigate; or police do believe them and the prosecutor believes he can’t make a case and refuses to prosecute; or the police and prosecutor believe them, but the abuser gets off with a slap on the wrist. Is it any surprise the level of sexual violence and domestic abuse is epidemic in Israel?

In this case, the agency tasked with protecting the nation from external threats betrayed the very women it was sworn to defend. The victims were abused by the rapist and then abused a second time by the Mossad and criminal justice system.

The only punishment the sexual predator faces is conviction on a charge of “obtaining an item of value through deceit.” What was the item? A woman’s body. It is something of some unspecified value, but not valuable enough to obtain the justice the victims deserve.

If you are one of the victims, know them, or have any information about this case, please contact me. All information may be offered under terms defined by the individual.