A new scandal involving a senior cleric is rocking one of Israel's communities. Ynet has learned that according to the suspicions, a senior religious scholar was blackmailed on sexual grounds by two men.
According to several sources, the cleric had an intimate relationship with a 21-year-old Palestinian from east Jerusalem when the latter was renovating his house.
Palestinian sources said the young man's friend became part of the sexual relations – which were given for money - about two months ago. At a certain stage, the sources added, the cleric stopped paying for the "service".
Later on, the two young men approached the cleric, informed him that he had been videotaped, and demands $100,000 for the tape. The amazed cleric decided to go the police, which launched an investigation.
The two men were caught in a trap set by the investigators, and the police have arrested another suspect in the affair.
Shmulik Grossman contributed to this report