South African Police Confirm International Arrest Warrant for Fugitive Breslov Hasidic Rabbi

By Shmarya Rosenberg
Failed Messiah
August 14, 2014

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2014/08/south-african-police-confirm-international-arrest-warrant-for-fugitive-breslov-hasidic-rabbi-567.html

South African police have confirmed that they tried to arrest Breslov hasidic rabbinic leader Rabbi Eliezer Berland Sunday. They also confirmed that an international arrest warrant has been issued for the rabbi, who fled Israel almost two years ago after Israeli police opened a criminal investigation into alleged sexual abuse committed by Berland against several of his female followers, some of them minors.

South African Police Confirm International Arrest Warrant For Fugitive Breslov Hasidic Rabbi

Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

According to a report in the Zionist Orthodox news website Arutz Sheva, South African police have confirmed that they tried to arrest Breslov hasidic rabbinic leader Rabbi Eliezer Berland Sunday. They also confirmed that an international arrest warrant has been issued for the rabbi, who fled Israel almost two years ago after Israeli police opened a criminal investigation into alleged sexual abuse committed by Berland against several of his female followers, some of them minors.

Plainclothes police mingling with wedding guests tried to grab Berland but missed him when Berland’s followers shoved a hasid who resembles Berland at police and secreted Berland in side room.

After the confusion subsided, Berland went into hiding.

“We do confirm that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [HAWKS]is working with the Israeli government to track Rabbi [Berland],” Captain Paul Ramaloko, Hawks’ National Spokesperson reportedly told the South African Jewish Report yesterday.

Berland "is a wanted person in Israel. An international warrant of arrest has been issued against him, and his name has been red flagged,” Ramaloko added.

Berland's followers in his Shuvu Banim Breslov sect claim Berland has the legal right to remain living openly in South Africa because his visa was allegedly renewed two weeks ago. They see the attempted arrest as a conspiracy between local Jewish leaders and the Israeli government to harass the alleged sex abuser.

“Since [his visa was renewed, Berland] has been coming to pray [publicly] with his followers almost every day," a Berland follower in Israel, named only as Yossi, said.

“We suspect that a lot of people in Johannesburg are becoming jealous as more and more Jews are choosing to study with Rabbi Berland,” a senior Shuvu Banim member reportedly said.

Berland fled Israel, first to the US and Canada and then to Italy, Switzerland, Marrakech, (Morocco), Zimbabwe and, in April of this year, South Africa.

For much of the past year he as been forced to seek refuge in countries with no extradition treaties with Israel.