Mrs. Amar: In the kitchen
Photo: Avi Cohen
Rabbi Amar: In Thailand
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Behind her back
Rabbi's wife said knew nothing of attack because she was in the kitchen; daughter says brother threatened her with knife
Mazal Amar, wife of Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, said she had no knowledge of events that took place in her living room because she was in the kitchen with her back turned.
Won't be charged
By Vered Luvitch and Tal Rosner
Prosecutors say no evidence found of Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar’s connection to kidnapping scandal involving his daughter’s suitor. Meanwhile, rabbi’s wife and son indicted at Tel Aviv court Wednesday
Along with her son Meir, Mrs. Amar was charged Wednesday of involvement in the kidnapping and beating her daughter's boyfriend.
According to police testimony, Rabbi Amar denied hearing about the incident from his children until several hours after the boyfriend had been released from hospital.
Rabbi Amar stuck to his initial testimony that he first heard of the incident in the newspaper during a visit to Thailand. He also expressed concern for the young man.
In the kitchen
Mrs. Amar told investigators that she had been in the kitchen of her apartment at the time the alleged events took place. She said she only heard what happened the next day from another daughter, who in turn had been told by Ayala.
Mrs. Amar said she failed to tell her husband what happened because she did not want to get him involved. But it would appear she did know about the incident.
Despite her claim to investigators to have only had passing contact with Meir, her son visited her a second time just two days later together with Labor Party leader Shimon Peres.
According to Ayala, her brother threatened her with a knife, saying he could kill her "with one stab."
Plea bargain predicted
It also turns out the incident was reported by a security officer at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, where the victim came for treatment but refused to reveal what had happened.
Legal authorities predict the story will end in a plea bargain, as family members are expected to try and prevent the Chief Rabbi from being forced to take the witness stand.
Knesset member Chemi Doron (Shinui) responded to the rebbitzen's testimony, saying "Mrs. Amar seems to suffer from serious hearing problems. If she would attend to it, she certainly would be able to hear what takes place just behind her back."
