Interior Ministry: US rabbi convicted of sexual assault won’t receive

The Interior Ministry has denied the immigration request of an American Orthodox rabbi convicted of sexually assaulting his pupils, the ministry said Tuesday.

However, the disgraced rabbi, Baruch Lanner, will be able to remain in Israel for nearly a full year with the temporary residency status he was granted a few weeks ago, a spokesperson for the ministry’s Immigration and Population Authority told The Times of Israel.

“Interior Minister [Ayelet Shaked] clarified this morning that in light of his grave actions, she has no intention of approving his request to receive citizenship after the temporary residency visa he has expires,” the spokesperson said.

Lanner served nearly three years in US prison for sexual assault crimes. Dozens of other victims have accused him over the years, but their allegations were not included in the indictments against him.

According to the ministry, the decision to grant Lanner temporary residency status through an A-5 visa was made by the previous interior minister, Aryeh Deri, though he too denied Lanner citizenship “in light of his criminal past.”

The spokesperson said it was not feasible for Shaked to revoke the temporary residency visa. “If she could, it would be much easier. Believe me,” the official said.

Under his A-5 temporary residence visa, Lanner can freely live and work in Israel for roughly the next year.

Lanner’s crimes were first uncovered by the New York Jewish Week newspaper, prompting an investigation in 2000 by Lanner’s former employer, the Orthodox Union, which found he was responsible for a series of incidents of sexual, physical and emotional abuse involving dozens of teenagers in his charge. He was convicted in 2002 of endangering the welfare of two girls during his time as principal of Hillel Yeshiva High School in Deal, New Jersey, in the 1990s.

Earlier this month, the law firm representing Lanner released a video about his case, tipping off activists about his immigration efforts. In the video, in which Lanner and his wife’s faces are blurred, Lanner praised the attorney, Tomer Warsha, for helping them, saying: “I had some legal issues in the United States and I never thought I would be able to make aliyah.” The video has since been deleted.

Baruch Lanner’s mugshot and the exterior of the Interior Ministry building in Jerusalem. (Public domain; Flash90)

Lanner’s second wife applied for citizenship with him and received it. Her immigration status will not be affected by Shaked’s decision.

Lanner’s attorney said he could not comment on his clients or even confirm that they were in fact his clients.

Shaked’s decision came after near-universal criticism of the decision to grant Lanner temporary residency in Israel, both from Israelis and American Jews.

On Monday, one of the leadership bodies of the Orthodox Union — the Rabbinical Council of America — sent Shaked a letter about Lanner’s immigration case, warning that he…