Published: 6 September 2019
Last updated: 4 March 2024
“Jews in Australia are supportive of Israel and loathe to publicly criticise its government, but this case demands we speak out,” the petition says. “We call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to ignore Litzman’s appeal to be reappointed to the Health Ministry.”
The petition campaign, which was initiated by The Jewish Independent, has been published in Australia and Israel this week, to highlight the importance of the issue ahead of the upcoming Israeli election on September 17.
An advertisement carrying the petition ran in the Sydney and Melbourne editions of the Australian Jewish News yesterday and another was published in Haaretz today.
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Last month Israeli police said there was sufficient evidence to bring charges against Litzman for fraud, breach of trust and witness tampering in two cases, one of which relates to the extradition of the alleged child sex abuser Leifer.
The legal struggle to bring Leifer back to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse against female students at the Adass Israel School in Melbourne has, so far, clocked up more than 50 court dates.
Despite his title of Deputy Health Minister, Litzman is effectively Health Minister (the lesser title allows him to stay out of Shabbat-related conflicts) and oversees a number of psychiatrists who are key witnesses in the Leifer case. Police have alleged that Litzman pressured court-appointed psychiatrists operating through the Health Ministry to support Leifer's mental illness claims.
The decision whether to indict Litzman, and stand him down, now rests with Israel’s Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit.
Israeli media reported last week that Mandelblit “is expected” to allow Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to keep his post, despite the police’s recommendation … that he be indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust.
“Progress toward an agreement between Mandelblit and Litzman came after the deputy minister … agreed to relinquish responsibility of the [Jerusalem district psychiatrist] offices within the Health Ministry,” the Times of Israel reported.
The Jewish Independent EDITORIAL: Netanyahu and Gantz must not reappoint Litzman
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Deputy Minister Litzman: My conscience is clear (Jerusalem Post)
