‘Jewish Taliban’ Lev Tahor raided over sex crimes

Mexican police arrest members of a Jewish sect on suspicion of human trafficking and sex crimes.

Mexican police raided the compound of the extremist ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect last week, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. Two members of the sect, often described as a cult, were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and sex crimes.

Police found 26 people in the Mexican compound on Friday, who are citizens of Israel, Canada, the US, Guatemala and other countries. Five more members of the sect were arrested for staying in Mexico illegally. The rest were transferred to a Mexican Welfare Ministry site.

The two members of the sect who were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and grave sexual offenses – Menachem Mendel Alter, an Israeli citizen, and Yoel Rosner, a Canadian – are expected to be indicted in Mexico and sentenced to about 20 years in prison, Israel's Foreign Ministry said.

Lev Tahor, which counts about 230 members, relocated to Guatemala from Canada in 2014 following allegations of  mistreatment of its children, including abuse and child marriages.

The anti-Zionist cult declared their loyalty and submission to the Supreme Leader and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and last year asked for asylum from Iran.

READ MORE
Extremist 'Jewish Taliban' Lev Tahor Compound Raided in Mexico (Haaretz)

Former Mossad agent involved in Lev Tahor raid describes what he saw (Jerusalem Post)

Photo: A woman and a child from Lev Tahor prepare to leave the Guatemalan village of San Juan La Laguna in 2014 (Jorge Lopez / Reuters / Haaretz)