‘Circus’ slammed
Australian Jewish community leaders have slammed the latest development in the Malka Leifer case as a 'circus'.
“THIS circus has gone on long enough.” That was the reaction this week of Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler, following the latest development in the Malka Leifer case.
It had been hoped that the long-running saga would take a decisive turn on Monday with Jerusalem judge Chana Lomp ruling on whether the former principal of Melbourne’s Adass Israel school was fit to face extradition proceedings. However, it was instead decided that Leifer would face yet another psychiatric assessment before the matter comes before the court again in December.
Noting the case has dragged on for five years already, Dassi Erlich, one of the former principal’s alleged victims asked “how much more emotional pain” she and other alleged victims would have to endure.
Echoing her exasperation, Leibler said, “We were hopeful that this court hearing, which was supposed to judge Leifer’s mental fitness for an extradition trial, would be the turning point. Sadly, it adds to the long list of setbacks, delays and allegations of corruption that have marred this case for over five years since her arrest in 2014.”
Declaring that “so many aspects of this case are simply scandalous”, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Anton Block pointed to “the recommendation by Israeli police that Israel’s Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman be charged with manipulating evidence; the unexplained reversals of testimony by Jerusalem District Psychiatrist Jacob Charnes; the evidence that Leifer has been malingering; and the seemingly neverending rounds of psychiatric assessments”.
“As each court appearance passes without resulting in an extradition order, further trauma is inflicted on the survivors and the integrity of Israel’s institutions is undermined,” said Block.
comments