Witness: "Rabbi was arrested on way to Uman, with his passport"
Talk with an eye witness reveals new details from the arrest of Rabbi Berland at airport in Amsterdam • "The Rav boarded the flight with his wife, with his passport. Investigators approached the rabbi and told him that he was wanted for questioning in Israel" • "The rabbi was not moved and said that if he is on the to way Israel, no problem" • followers: "The tzaddik completed his exile for am Yisrael"
- Eli Schlesinger
- כ' אלול התשע"ד
Photo: Shmuel Drei
Shuvu Banim community leader Rabbi Eliezer Berland, was arrested on Thursday morning at around 9:00 am (local time) nearby Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, the Rabbi is staying meanwhile at a local police station.
The Justice Department replied to inquiries and told reporters: "This is to confirm that Rabbi Eliezer Berland was arrested at the airport in Netherlands this morning. The rrest was made at the request of the State Attorney's international department, issued by an arrest warrant of Lahav 433 Crimes Unit of the Israel Police through Interpol.
"Israel intends to seek the extradition of Rabbi Berland to Israel for trial. It should be noted that Israel and the Netherlands are both signed on the European Convention on Extradition."
A police official confirmed that the Dutch authorities updated the Israel Police of the Rabbi's arrest.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland was in Johannesburg for about six months. Tonight he left South Africa and landed at 9:00 this morning in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
The Rabbi boarded the flight along with his wife Rebbetzin Tehilla Berland, and at the passport check after disembarking the flight, with his own passport, airport police told him that he was wanted for questioning in Israel.
"The rabbi was not nervous at all at the arrest," a close associate of the Rabbi, who witnessed the arrest, told Behadrey Haredim "To Israel? No problem."
For now, there is a request for extradition to Israel, but an international document was not yet submitted to the Dutch police.
It is unclear if the Rabbi will stay this Shabbos in Israel in detention or the extradition will be delayed until after that.
"In the past two years, the tzaddik has been in exile," the rabbi's associates say, "We hope that the tzaddik has completed his exile for Am Yisrael."
The Rabbi's associates hope that the extradition procedure, if carried out, would end quickly, and he will arrive in Israel before Shabbat.
Rabbi Berland left Israel two years ago after factors in his community worked against him. At first he was in Switzerland, then spent a year in Marrakesh, Morocco. He then moved to Zimbabwe where he stayed with his associate Yaron Yamin. He was arrested and released on condition that he leaves the country and he moved to Johannesburg. As stated, tonight he left South Africa and arrived in Holland - where he was arrested. Rabbi Berland leaving Zimbabwe to Johannesburg Photo: Archive
The Justice Department replied to inquiries and told reporters: "This is to confirm that Rabbi Eliezer Berland was arrested at the airport in Netherlands this morning. The rrest was made at the request of the State Attorney's international department, issued by an arrest warrant of Lahav 433 Crimes Unit of the Israel Police through Interpol.
"Israel intends to seek the extradition of Rabbi Berland to Israel for trial. It should be noted that Israel and the Netherlands are both signed on the European Convention on Extradition."
A police official confirmed that the Dutch authorities updated the Israel Police of the Rabbi's arrest.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland was in Johannesburg for about six months. Tonight he left South Africa and landed at 9:00 this morning in Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
The Rabbi boarded the flight along with his wife Rebbetzin Tehilla Berland, and at the passport check after disembarking the flight, with his own passport, airport police told him that he was wanted for questioning in Israel.
"The rabbi was not nervous at all at the arrest," a close associate of the Rabbi, who witnessed the arrest, told Behadrey Haredim "To Israel? No problem."
For now, there is a request for extradition to Israel, but an international document was not yet submitted to the Dutch police.
It is unclear if the Rabbi will stay this Shabbos in Israel in detention or the extradition will be delayed until after that.
"In the past two years, the tzaddik has been in exile," the rabbi's associates say, "We hope that the tzaddik has completed his exile for Am Yisrael."
The Rabbi's associates hope that the extradition procedure, if carried out, would end quickly, and he will arrive in Israel before Shabbat.
Rabbi Berland left Israel two years ago after factors in his community worked against him. At first he was in Switzerland, then spent a year in Marrakesh, Morocco. He then moved to Zimbabwe where he stayed with his associate Yaron Yamin. He was arrested and released on condition that he leaves the country and he moved to Johannesburg. As stated, tonight he left South Africa and arrived in Holland - where he was arrested. Rabbi Berland leaving Zimbabwe to Johannesburg Photo: Archive
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