Ex-Wife Testifies Against Israeli Businessman Eliyahu Reifman, Calls Him a 'Scoundrel'

Margarita Alter, the ex-wife of Israeli businessman Eliyahu Reifman, has testified against him in court, describing him as a "scoundrel" who left her destitute. Alter returned to Israel from Thailand to appear before the Lod District Court on September 29, where she stated Reifman used a company registered in her name to defraud business partners. Reifman, 56, is the founder of Emblaze, a company once valued at $4 billion. He has a history of financial and legal troubles, including convictions for fraud and forgery, and was declared bankrupt in 2011 with debts around 200 million shekels.

Reifman fled to Thailand in March 2025 after failing to pay creditors 10 million shekels as ordered by the court. An arrest warrant was issued for him in April 2025, which remains active. Alter testified that at the time of his disappearance, they were living separately, and he left her with nothing, forcing her to face threats and harassment alone. She detailed how the problems he created impacted her life significantly.

The allegations of fraud involve Alter Ego Technologies, a company Reifman founded in 2020 and registered under Alter's name. Investors filed a lawsuit in April 2025, seeking a receiver for the company, alleging Reifman was the true controller despite Alter holding the shares. The court granted their request.

Court-appointed receivers, Keren Reichbach Segal and Hen Berdichevsky, concluded that Alter Ego Technologies' operations were not beneficial to investors or profitable, and described its activities as "more secret than apparent." Alter stated she did not know how many others Reifman defrauded using her identity. The court has tasked the receivers with deposing Alter as part of the civil lawsuit, with her expected to answer questions from lawyers and creditors in October. Reifman's lawyer stated that contact with his client has been lost.