Ex-Minister Goldknopf Accused of Extortion Amid Property Dispute
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Former Israeli Minister of Housing Yitzhak Goldknopf is allegedly involved in an attempted extortion case stemming from a property dispute with a rabbi. Documents suggest Goldknopf paid over a million shekels in retroactive taxes before joining the government, potentially to avoid exposure of alleged criminal activities. Goldknopf denies the allegations, stating the rental income and property were not his and that the dispute is fabricated.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf is accused of attempted extortion in a property dispute with a rabbi.
- Goldknopf allegedly paid over one million shekels in retroactive taxes before joining the government.
- The dispute involved unpaid rent on a property owned by an educational organization led by Goldknopf.
- The rabbi allegedly threatened to expose criminal activities to prevent Goldknopf from suing in civil court.
- Goldknopf denies all allegations, calling the claims false and the dispute fabricated.
Former Minister of Housing and chairman of Agudat Yisrael, Yitzhak Goldknopf, is reportedly facing allegations of attempted extortion stemming from a property dispute with a rabbi. The dispute allegedly led Goldknopf to refrain from filing a lawsuit against the rabbi in civil court.
Legal correspondent Avishai Greenzweig revealed documents suggesting that Goldknopf paid a significant retroactive tax assessment to the state shortly before joining the government. This tax payment, covering over one million shekels in income from a previously rented apartment, was made just before he was sworn in as minister in December 2022. Goldknopf had claimed to the Tax Authority that he decided to pay voluntarily, as a gesture of goodwill.
The controversy involves a conflict that began in 2021 when Goldknopf headed a large educational organization. He clashed with the rabbi of the Mishkoltz community in Jerusalem over unpaid rent for nearly a year on a property belonging to Goldknopf's organization. Goldknopf initially filed a claim in a private Haredi rabbinical court, but when the rabbi evaded proceedings, the court permitted a civil lawsuit.
At this point, the rabbi allegedly threatened Goldknopf with exposure of alleged criminal activities within his organizations, implying this would prevent him from accessing civil courts. Goldknopf's attorney responded with a counter-threat, warning that any such revelations could backfire. The threats reportedly led to the closure of the rabbinical court proceedings, and Goldknopf allegedly did not pursue a civil case due to the threats.
Goldknopf's son-in-law, Hanoch Freiman, reportedly collected a rent payment of 3,600 shekels for one month, with a receipt stating it was not related to prior debts. It is suspected that Goldknopf, aware of the potential for extortion, informed the Tax Authority about his decision to pay taxes on over a million shekels in rental income, including amounts he had not previously declared.
In response, Goldknopf denied any rabbinical court proceedings regarding the property, calling claims of misappropriated rent funds false. He stated that the organization's accounting records document rental income, including cash payments. Goldknopf asserted that neither he nor his family owned the property or its rental income, and any suggestion otherwise is false. Upon being presented with documents, Goldknopf further claimed the dispute was unrelated to the organization's lawsuit, questioned the document's authenticity, suggesting it might be AI-generated, and dismissed the rabbi's claims as ridiculous.