On Monday, the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs held a meeting to address the situation of children rescued from the extremist Lev Tahor group in Guatemala, urging immediate action from the Israeli government.
Of the 160 minors removed from the sect’s compound in December, around 100 are eligible for Israeli citizenship, while the remainder are from the United States and Canada. Testimonies reveal that the children have suffered significant trauma, including the long-term effects of abuse. Currently, they are being housed in shelters in Guatemala and require rehabilitation and support.
Lev Tahor, a radical group founded in Yerushalayim in the late 1980s by Shlomo Helbrans, is infamous for its extreme practices and allegations of severe abuse, both physical and psychological.
The sect, which has relocated across several countries, is now based in Guatemala, where two of its leaders, Yoel Goldman and Nissan Yehoshua Yehuda Malka, were recently arrested on charges related to child abuse and human trafficking.
During the committee session, former members of Lev Tahor and family representatives stressed the urgency of bringing the children to Israel. Survivors shared their stories of abusive living conditions, forced starvation, and isolation. One former member, who had managed to rescue his son from the sect in 2022, expressed his long-held hope for the Israeli government to intervene and save the children.
Relatives of the children still within the sect criticized Israeli authorities for their lack of action, warning that Guatemala would not be able to hold the minors forever. “The Guatemalan police did Israel’s hardest work. Now, the government must complete the mission and bring them home,” one family member said.
Shas MK Yinon Azoulay, who raised the issue in the Knesset, highlighted the severe conditions within the sect, mentioning that children as young as 13 were already parents. He also condemned Israel’s refusal to send survivors back to Guatemala to aid in the rescue efforts. “The government delegation should have stayed until they returned with all the children on a plane to Israel,” Azoulay said.
Israeli officials acknowledged the complexity of the situation. A representative from the Prime Minister’s Office revealed that 139 minors, mostly aged between two and nine, are still residing in Guatemalan protective facilities. The Foreign Ministry noted that bureaucratic and legal obstacles are complicating their return, but emphasized that efforts are ongoing.
MK Gilad Kariv, the committee chairman, called for a follow-up session, demanding detailed information on the number of Israelis involved in Lev Tahor, a concrete government strategy, and a timeline for action. “This is an Israeli issue with international consequences,” he stated, urging the government to decide whether to send officials to collaborate directly with Guatemalan authorities.
During the meeting, officials also discussed the financial and logistical hurdles involved in repatriating the children, with the Foreign Ministry estimating that significant funding would be needed for their relocation. Some of the minors may qualify for Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return, which could streamline their movement to Israel.
The committee concluded by calling for immediate government intervention to prevent the children from being relocated again and vanishing into Lev Tahor’s global network.
{Matzav.com}