Scandal’s end: Border policeman to compensate defrauded daughter, mother

wrap up of local news around the country.

Israeli Police (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
Israeli Police
(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
NORTH
A married border policeman who had an affair with a young woman will compensate the girl and her mother after having borrowed money from them and withholding his marital status.
Ma’ariv Hashavua, the Hebrew-language sister publication of The Jerusalem Post, reported Monday that the Karmiel mother and daughter had filed an indictment against the officer at the Krayot District Court. They charged that the defendant, a resident of the North who is married with three children, presented them with a false picture of himself and developed a romantic relationship with the daughter, during which time he borrowed money that he did not return.
The officer allegedly told the plaintiff that he was alone in the world after his parents and sister had died. According to the lawsuit, the mother and daughter had given the defendant a total of NIS 66,000. They said that during an attempt to get their money back, they followed him to his residence and were shocked to discover that he was married with children.
The defendant denied all allegations, saying it was an attempt to extort money from him.
The judge ruled that the mother and daughter were telling the truth and that the defendant’s version of events was inconsistent and contradictory. She ruled that the defendant give back the NIS 66,000, in addition to NIS 12,000 for mental anguish caused to the mother and daughter. She also ordered him to pay court fees amounting to NIS 15,000.
President to attend Hanoar Ha’oved Vehalomed celebration
President Reuven Rivlin will be the guest of honor at the 10th congress of the Hanoar Ha’oved Vehalomed movement (the General Federation of Students and Young Workers in Israel). The meeting, which will held on Monday at Haifa’s Congress Center, marks the youth movement’s 90th anniversary.
CENTER
Herzliya hosts singing competition to mark Korea Month
As part of Korea Month in Israel, to mark 53 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Israel, a Korean pop music (K-Pop) competition was held at the Herzliya Cultural Center last week. The guest of the honor was Korea’s ambassador to Israel Lee Gu Tae. The competition was broadcast on Korea’s state TV channel KBS.
This was the third year that the K-Pop festival was held in Israel. Every year, the competition is held simultaneously in 43 countries, organized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Korean channel KBS and other bodies.
Hundreds of people signed up for the contest in Israel, of whom 15 candidates were chosen to compete in two categories: singing and dancing. The winner will go on to compete against winners from other countries. They will have the opportunity to win a trip to Korea and to participate in the world final there in October. The global contest will be aired on Korean TV and broadcasted to 88 countries.
Bat Yam seeks to connect religious, secular youngsters
Eighty-five teenagers attended a special dialogue event in Bat Yam last week aimed at creating connections between secular and religious youths. The event, organized by the Bat Yam Municipal Youth Council, focused on burning issues in Israeli society. They also and honored the memory of the three kidnapped yeshiva students who were murdered by terrorists last summer.
Council representatives were trained to facilitate the dialogue groups by BGO Gesher, which works to promote mutual understanding between religious and secular Jews in Israel. The dialogue circles provoked heated and interesting debate, covering issues of accepting the other, democracy, IDF service and racism.
White night in Gan Yavne for Tu Be’av
Gan Yavne is set to hold its first white night dedicated to celebrating Tu Be’av. The event is scheduled for Thursday, the night before Tu Be’av. Residents are invited to wear white for the evening designed to celebrate unconditional love. Among the guests are former MK Haim Amsalem, singer Kobi Oz, families of organ donors and members of rescue missions.
The event was brought together by graduates of the Gvanim (Shades) program for social leadership in Israel. The program focuses on the areas of Jewish, Israeli, communal identity and strives to unite different sectors of the population. Artist workshops, food stands and mind-body therapy sessions are planned for the event. Free lectures and workshops are also on the schedule, discussing issues relating to Israeli society, unconditional love, helping crisis areas around the world.
Gan Yavne Council head Dror Aaron says, “Unconditional love does not begin and end in one night. If we give it on a daily basis, it will become the routine of our lives. Connecting opposites, meeting, conversing and creating together is what makes an open, accepting community.”
SOUTH
Undercover agent busts Nice Guy kiosk drug dealers
An undercover agent found 20 dealers of the Nice Guy kiosk drug in Beersheba and Dimona, the Southern District police reported Monday. During the operation, the agent went through the process of buying the drugs, starting with telephone conversations and then going to a meeting point to collect the drugs, where she met other buyers, including students and youth. Among the dealers was a 16-year-old boy who sold the agent several bags of Nice Guy.
All the suspects were taken in for questioning and were expected to be brought for remand extensions.