Ministers, MKs and Advisors: Politicians Flock to Famous Rabbi Ahead of Elections

Within less than a week, ministers, Knesset members and senior advisors attended the engagement events in the family of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who was previously sentenced to prison for bribery. Among those present: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Economics Committee Chairman David Bitan, ministers Gideon Sa'ar, Ze'ev Elkin and Amichai Eliyahu, and Prime Minister's advisor Topaz Luk. Also spotted at the event was communications advisor Ronen Tzur. Last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz, who left the cabinet meeting, and many others from Likud attended the son's engagement.

Ahead of the Knesset elections, more and more senior politicians are seeking to get close to Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who was previously convicted of a crime and sent to prison. Within just three days, a long line of ministers, Knesset members and public figures from right and left attended the engagement events in his family. The engagement celebration of the rabbi's daughter took place yesterday, and a host of politicians, public figures and senior advisors from across the political spectrum attended. Among those present were National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who sat next to Rabbi Pinto, and beside him Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Also, Economics Committee Chairman MK David Bitan arrived at the event and was seen receiving a blessing from the rabbi. Ministers Gideon Sa'ar and Ze'ev Elkin also attended, and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu from Otzma Yehudit was seen at the event, close to Rabbi Pinto. Also coming to honor the joy was Topaz Luk, advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Alongside coalition members, communications advisor Ronen Tzur, identified with the other side of the political map, was also spotted at the event, conversing with the rabbi and appearing close to him. Just last week, the engagement of the rabbi's son took place, and politicians also flocked there. Defense Minister Israel Katz left the political-security cabinet meeting on Thursday to participate in the event. In addition, many others from Likud came, including Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem, Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. All were documented whispering with the rabbi, head of the 'Shuva Israel' institutions, who served a two-year prison sentence for giving bribes to the late Deputy Superintendent Ephraim Bracha. On the rabbi's Facebook page, former Mossad chief Dedi Barnea is also seen hugging him and warmly shaking his hands. Last year, Netanyahu also met with the rabbi during his visit to Washington. On Thursday, the Prime Minister did not know at all that Katz had left the cabinet meeting for the son's engagement, and asked: 'Where is the Defense Minister?' Silman wrote on social media that she received a blessing from Rabbi Pinto for success in the primaries. She wrote that the engagement was of the grandson, not the son, and added: 'In the face of the left's alienation from tradition and rabbis, the right is exactly the opposite. The blessing of the righteous accompanies me from my first day in politics, and I believe in their blessing with all my heart.' Pinto also met about a year ago with a Palestinian entrepreneur named Bashar Masri, the same entrepreneur who was sued by families of October 7 victims because there were Hamas tunnels in buildings he owned in Gaza. The investigation against Rabbi Pinto and his wife was opened in August 2012 on suspicion of bribing a police officer, as well as on suspicion of money laundering offenses. He was convicted in a plea deal for offering Bracha $200,000 to give him confidential information from the police investigation regarding him. 'I feel like a criminal,' Rabbi Pinto confessed before the committee that discussed whether to release him early from prison. 'How many people left religion because they saw a rabbi giving bribes. I feel remorse, not for nothing did I say I was wrong. I didn't come here to get a third. I sat with the social worker and cried. I reached the depth of my pain over the bribe. I made the Torah a spade to dig with, which is worse than bribery. I used my status as a rabbi in connection with all these things.' In 2019, Rabbi Pinto was crowned as the head of the rabbinical courts of the Jewish community in Morocco. At a ceremony held in Casablanca, with representatives of the kingdom and hundreds of locals, he was officially appointed as the supreme judge, and declared: 'Today we are embarking on a new path.'