Gush Etzion Council Admits There Has Been Ritualistic Sexual Abuse
In an unprecedented public statement, the Gush Etzion Regional Council acknowledged ritualistic sexual abuse cases in its communities following a bombshell Kan 11 investigation, ending a long period of denial and urging victims to come forward.
In a dramatic reversal that marks a turning point in one of Israel's most disturbing abuse scandals, the Gush Etzion Regional Council has issued an unprecedented public statement acknowledging ritualistic sexual abuse cases within its communities, ending a prolonged period of denial and silence.
The extraordinary statement came in direct response to a bombshell investigative report by journalist Roni Zinger, aired on Kan 11's "Zman Emet" program. The broadcast presented testimonies from five different women, most of whom did not know each other, who described strikingly similar patterns of multi-perpetrator ritualistic sexual abuse occurring in the same areas of Gush Etzion. The program also featured recordings, filmed confrontations, and testimony from professionals who had accompanied the complainants over the years, building an evidentiary foundation that left little room for doubt.
From Denial to Public Condemnation
For an extended period, allegations of severe and ritualistic sexual abuse within the religious community had been met with denials, dismissal of witnesses, and deep skepticism from within. This time, the council chose a starkly different path.
"The acts described, attributed among others to people from Gush Etzion, are an expression of pure evil and moral depravity that has no place in human society, and certainly not in our community," the council's official statement read.
The leadership delivered an unambiguous message to victims still afraid to speak: "We wish to state in the clearest possible terms: we condemn acts of abuse and those who commit them. Sexual abuse, and certainly that described as systematic and ritualistic, is a heinous crime that wounds not only the victims, but the entire fabric of our community."
A Direct Call to Victims
The council's statement concluded with a concrete operational step, publicly listing direct phone numbers for the security hotline, welfare officials, psychologists, and dedicated helplines at sexual assault support centers. Victims were urged to reach out discreetly and immediately: "Our hearts are with the victims, wherever they are."
What Comes Next
The Kan 11 investigation, combined with the council's formal and unprecedented acknowledgment, is now expected to trigger the reopening of previously closed police complaints and a significant expansion of the criminal investigation — into what is emerging as one of the most organized and disturbing sexual abuse cases ever exposed in Israel.