Netherlands – Rabbi Eliezer Berland has once again evaded law enforcement authorities, this time pulling a disappearing act from the Dutch justice system which had just ordered Berland’s extradition back to Israel to face charges for alleged sex crimes.
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Police say Berland has fled the Netherlands without a passport and would have gone to a country without an extradition treaty with Israel. There are rumors that Berland may have fled to Latin America, according to Dutch publication Volkskrant.nl (http://bit.ly/1Usf8lP).
“It is currently unclear where he is,” said Dutch prosecutor Henri Tillart. “Through Interpol in Israel, we are made aware of rumors that Berland would have left the Netherlands. But hard evidence for it does not exist. Berland must report back to the police by late afternoon Tuesday. If he does not, then there is grounds to keep him in the Netherlands.”
Berland’s attorney, Louis de Leon, said Berland has not been seen in more than a week and his phone has been disconnected, making it impossible to reach him. He also noted that Berland was not present at his shul for Shabbos, which is “highly unusual for him.”
As previously reported on VIN News, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled last week that Berland, 78, can be extradited to Israel, overturning an earlier local court ruling in February denying Israel’s extradition request.
The Supreme Court decision came after months of delays in the extradition process, including a hospital stay for Berland in January, who was said to be suffering from heart-related issues at the time.
Berland fled to the Netherlands from Israel three years ago after several women and a 15-year-old girl accused the rabbi of sexual assault. Thus far, Berland had successfully dodged law enforcement authorities in the United States, South Africa, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, and Morocco on these charges.
He was arrested by Dutch police at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in September after evading South African authorities, but had been free on bail pending the outcome of the extradition ruling.
Catch me if you can !
Would think that a “tzadik” would accept Hashem’s decree and would not run all over the world like a common criminal
when will these fakers stop making chilul hashem
He has thousands of followers who allow him to be with their little kids. What in the world goes through their minds? There is NO way I would allow him to be alone with my little kids.
People STOP jumping to conclusions!
I don’t know Rav Berland, but I know lots of people that know him. (I happen to have family and friends that are affiliated to some of his organizations) I haven’t met 1 person that knows him that believes any of these allegations.
I’ll give you 1 of many quotes, this 1 from a relative of mine that knew Berland personally for many years, according to him, Berland is a meshugener by all means. Quote unquote “If you’d know him you would understand that he’d escape without being guilty.” Therefore the fact that he escaped does not prove that he’s guilty. Also he personally doesn’t think that Rav Berland has committed that act.
Every sane person that knows this guy will tell you: Crazy YES, Pervert NO.
It’s a simple act of revenge, he’s got sworn enemies…
Chazal said that if you saw a Talmid Chacham sin at night don’t hold it against him the next morning because by then he’s certainly done teshuva, and that’s talking about someone who actually SAW the alleged aveira, not about those who hear about it from other sources. The whole suspicion about him rests on the testimony of a few people, have they ever undergone polygraphs?
He is a great baal zidukah and wonderful posek. Give him.
Having escaped like 5 countries to evade justice the Dutch did not consider him a flight risk?
ok, first of all you guys are like all wow this and that… did you guys ever seen this person ? or spoke to him ? he is not the regular person out there, what he has done, 100’s of you living 100 times wont do, anyway 1st of all big tzadikim of our dor said that he is doing this golus for the dor, so we will never understand what this is all about, but its very esy to accuse to say he did it, the chazal said already to watch out before talking on tzadikim, so please, don’t jump so fast to anything, this reb lazer is not a reg. person who u see every day, he figures out things in middle of no where how to find a mikva in amstredam, when he was never there in his life he tell driver right here left gere etc and a mikva or stream is there im telling you guys not normal things so again don’t jump to anything because we don’t know nothing… and besides if someone is so sure that someone ddid any of this kind then he same as the one he accuses, because there is no way you can know 0 unless you were also there, and until then you don’t know so don’t say anything, kol tov
about yosef hatzdik very well said and also the point you don’t know if you be one day on same rope etc and in this case its a known thing that r’ berland has major enemy’s and the shien beit is very angry on him already years because he was THE one who opened all the ways to ALMOST ALL kevorim in Israel where YOU (the one who’s bashing him) and all of kllal yisreal goes (as example kever yosef hatzdik, and so many other ) because they didn’t want to because the Arabs etc., but he fought them he was the one who opned the 1st yeshiva in the old city even before everything so that’s why the police are so out to get him, and plus he has sworn enemies, and he himself took open himself to suffer exile for so and so years, anyway so long for now, kol tov
Guard thy tongue from speaking falsehood Run from machlokes..
1st of to the one who comment ” your daughter” etc.. is stam non-sense..because he is not running because he is guilty he is running because he don’t want to be in one place … its called exile, and go ask around the biggest tzaddikm of our generation there are latters that some have written that no one should dare talk on r’ berland and accuse him, because this stuff is bigger then us and our minds
Look what it says in gemara sanhedrin 110, and baal haturim shmos on posuk וישמע משה ויפל על פניו “, “everyone suspected Moshe Rabeinu of adultery and said” keep your daughters and wifes away from him”, What did Moshe do? Face the accusations? No, he didn’t say a word, he ran away! “ויקח אהלו מחוץ למחנה” that’s what the gemara says. GO BACK TO YESHIVA! אליעזר ברלנד 604 gematria משה רבנו עה”כ. There hasn’t been a Tzaddik this great in a really long time. But the sons of Korach are learning torah in bnei brak, seems like they’re also posting on VIN…