Israel's envoy to SA welcomes extradition of fugitive rabbi

Rabbi Eliezer Berland was flown out of SA to Tel Aviv last night after being handed over to Interpol.

FILE: Israeli Rabbi Eliezer Berland (C) arrives at court in Haarlem on 17 November 2014, with his lawyer Louis de Leon (R). Picture: AFP.

JOHANNESBURG - Israel's Ambassador to South Africa, Arthur Lenk, says the extradition of a fugitive rabbi shows the strength of the criminal justice system and the cooperation between the two countries. 

Rabbi Eliezer Berland was flown out of South Africa to Tel Aviv last night after being handed over to Interpol. 

Berland has been on the run since 2012 and is wanted for sex crimes in his home country. 

The fugitive rabbi was arrested earlier this year - he had been evading authorities around the world, along with several dozen of his devout followers, many of whom are believed to have joined him on his flight to Israel last night. 

Ambassador Lenk has welcomed the extradition.

“We’re grateful for the help that we got from the Department of Justice and Interpol in South Africa. This was a man who was a wanted criminal, and he had no business being in South Africa and I think both countries felt the same way.”