ISRAEL
JTA
June 23, 2013
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yona Metzger, has suspended himself from some of his duties following his arrest on corruption charges.
Metzger said he will suspend himself from his position as president of the Chief Rabbinate Council and will not attend its meetings, and from, his position as a Rabbinical High Court judge.
Metzger made the announcement that he would suspend himself from his duties for the duration of the investigation on Sunday morning in a message from his lawyers to Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Religious Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett.
“The rabbi understands that suspending himself is the right thing to do from a public perspective,” his attorneys said, while also emphasizing that Metzger maintains his innocence.
Investigators from the National Fraud Squad raided Metzger’s home and offices last week as part of a bribery, fraud, money-laundering and breach-of-trust case. Police suspect Metzger pocketed donations, which Metzger denies.
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