Police Raid Breslov Community in Yavne'el Over Suspected Child Marriages

Dozens of officers from the Northern District Police and the Border Police raided several locations in Yavne'el on Wednesday morning after a months-long covert investigation into suspected illegal child marriages within the Breslov community. As the inquiry became public, police detained community members suspected of arranging secret weddings, matching underage couples and conducting the ceremonies. Several minors believed to have been married in recent months were also detained for questioning.

According to police, investigators uncovered an operating pattern in which most weddings were held in the morning, with only a small number of people present. The venues were reportedly kept secret until the last moment, mobile phones were banned, and any recording of the event was prevented to avoid exposure. Police also said that after the ceremony, a separate public event was sometimes held and presented as an engagement party for relatives and close acquaintances.

In a raid in February, Northern District detectives responded in real time to a tip about a ceremony at a house in the settlement. Officers said they identified a bride and groom in wedding attire and found a ketubah, wedding rings and a cup wrapped in aluminum foil hidden inside a cabinet in the water-meter area. Using court orders, police also collected information from hospitals in northern Israel.

The investigation found more than 20 cases over the past three years in which girls from the community gave birth while still listed as single in the Population Registry. Police said the probe is continuing and is part of an ongoing campaign against child marriage. The force said, "Israel Police will continue to act decisively against any offense harming minors and helpless persons, in order to uncover the truth, bring those involved to justice and prevent the continuation of the phenomenon."