Police last night arrested the 39-year-old daughter of the former Israeli defense minister on outstanding drug charges as she tried to fly from Kennedy Airport to Tel Aviv, the New York Post is reporting.
Talya Ben-Eliezer was taken into custody about 8:40 p.m. as she tried to go through security at Terminal 4, and was hauled off to central booking in Queens, Port Authority police confirmed. She was heading toward Delta Flight 268.
It didn’t take long before officials with the Israeli consulate in Manhattan began “calling everyone on this,” one source told The Post.
Israeli consulate spokesman Shahar Azani said, “We are not at liberty to discuss individual cases.”
Ben-Eliezer is one of five children of Labor Party Knesset Member Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a retired senior commander in the Israeli army who served as defense minister in 2001 and 2002. He has also been the military governor in the occupied West Bank and a deputy prime minister.
The elder Ben-Eliezer did not respond to messages from The Post.
Talya Ben-Eliezer was detained on an outstanding “no-bail warrant” issued by the sheriff in Tampa, Fla., for a “dangerous drug” offense. She was booked as a “fugitive from justice.”
The Florida sheriff’s office did not have an immediate comment on the arrest, and Port Authority police referred to questions to US Customs officials, who flagged her warrant and stopped her at security. Customs did not have a comment.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post that Ben-Eliezer had been in Florida about a year undergoing medical treatment for a seizure condition. The arrest warrant was issued after, the source said, the woman allegedly obtained oxycontin without the proper paperwork.
Ben-Eliezer was not traveling on a diplomatic passport. Instead, she was flying as an American citizen; she holds both US and Israeli citizenship. She is expected to be extradited to Florida to face a charge of “obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.” The warrant for her arrest was issued on July 27, according to sheriff’s records.
A source said soon after Ben-Eliezer was detained at the airport “she stated … to Customs officials” that she is the daughter of a senior member of the Israeli government.
{NY Post/Matzav.com Newscenter}
Why is this not loshon horah ?
Matzav’s double standard when it comes to reporting arrests of Jewish alleged criminals is disturbing. When a child molester or a fraudster is arrested from the frum community, even though the publicity of such arrests may benefit the community, Matzav refuses to report or will redact the names of the accused. Here Matzav does not hesitate to not only report the story but to mention her name and her father’s name. This is inexcusable.
To Chaim,
The difference is that, although maybe not good for one’s middos, according to Sefer Chofetz Chaim, their is no prohibition of loshon hora when talking about a mechalel/es Shabbos.
I can’t agree with the first post more.
There is nothing to be gained by Matzav publishing this event.
Its a very sad case too, she was just getting more meds, not any of the worse kind of hard or soft drugs.
Shame on you Matzav
I think you may need CAT scan or something because YOUR double standard is way off the derech
#1 & #2
Open Sefer Chofetz Chaim
#4
There’s much to be gained.
bottom line this is not loshon hora!
Chaim, congrats for having your comment posted!
Former Israeli minister of defense?
Sad not to apologize for an avla
Now that the daughter of Ben – Eliezer was released and CLEARED of all charges will Matzav let its readers know this ?
Will Matzav let the readers know that this was a minor case, and a misunderstanding ?
Not my words but the words of the so called secular media !