Details have emerged from Israel about a prostitution ring in which Jewish women and girls were allegedly forced into having sex with non-Jews by a messianic sect.
Two men and two women are being detained on suspicion of exploitation. (Other reports say that 8 people are in custody).
Police say the victims were brainwashed into believing that having sex with non-Jews would "save the Jewish people and bring about redemption".
They were also made to become dependent on alcohol and drugs, and have sex under their influence, police say.
The head of the police investigation, Superintendent Arik Mordechai, told the Haaretz newspaper that some 15 women had been recruited, some of whom were believed to be minors.
Their "clients" - from whom money was received - included Palestinians from the West Bank and foreign workers from Tel Aviv, the newspaper reported.
The four suspects are a 60-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman from the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, a 47-year-old man from the town of Ashkelon and a 39-year-old woman from Jerusalem. They have so far not been named.
The arrests were the result of a four-month-long undercover investigation prompted by reports that the messianic sect was taking advantage of women members. Over the course of the investigation, police discovered that it was active throughout Israel.
The affair was brought to the attention of police by Lehava, an extremist Israeli group which fights against intermarriage.
Lehava leader Bentzi Gopstein told AFP the prostitution ring was operational for six to seven years. He said the ringleaders had exploited the women's gullibility.
This is obviously not a genuine Messianic sect, but a prostitution ring operating as a religious sect, exploiting women and girls for money, and, incidentally, discrediting bonafide Messianic sects. If they really believed Jesus Christ is the Messiah, they would know they have to stand before Him in judgement. It is obvious that they are not the least concerned about that.
Two men and two women are being detained on suspicion of exploitation. (Other reports say that 8 people are in custody).
Police say the victims were brainwashed into believing that having sex with non-Jews would "save the Jewish people and bring about redemption".
They were also made to become dependent on alcohol and drugs, and have sex under their influence, police say.
The head of the police investigation, Superintendent Arik Mordechai, told the Haaretz newspaper that some 15 women had been recruited, some of whom were believed to be minors.
Their "clients" - from whom money was received - included Palestinians from the West Bank and foreign workers from Tel Aviv, the newspaper reported.
The four suspects are a 60-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman from the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, a 47-year-old man from the town of Ashkelon and a 39-year-old woman from Jerusalem. They have so far not been named.
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| Kiryat Arba, West Bank |
The affair was brought to the attention of police by Lehava, an extremist Israeli group which fights against intermarriage.
Lehava leader Bentzi Gopstein told AFP the prostitution ring was operational for six to seven years. He said the ringleaders had exploited the women's gullibility.
This is obviously not a genuine Messianic sect, but a prostitution ring operating as a religious sect, exploiting women and girls for money, and, incidentally, discrediting bonafide Messianic sects. If they really believed Jesus Christ is the Messiah, they would know they have to stand before Him in judgement. It is obvious that they are not the least concerned about that.
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