Ben Brito

Israel's Most Wanted Man Ben Brito

Israel's Most Wanted Man is Rabbi Eliezer Berland.

Before his activities came to the attention of the Israeli authorities, Rabbi Berland had been successfully attracting tens of thousands of secular Jews to a religious lifestyle for more than 50 years. In the process, he became one of the most controversial figures in the modern State of Israel. While his followers told tales of his extreme piety, incredible spirituality and remarkable holy vision, the secular press was routinely filled with lurid headlines, terrible accusations and media condemnation. In 2013, the aging Rabbi decided to leave Israel. While the press claimed he was running away from justice, his followers told a very different story. Over the next few years, the State of Israel spent millions of dollars chasing Rabbi Berland across four different continents, as he continued to make headlines around the world. In 2016, Rabbi Berland surprised everyone by deciding to fly back to Israel, and straight into the arms of the authorities. Israel's Most Wanted Man looks into the heart of the allegations against Rabbi Berland. It explores who was really behind the media circus that accompanied him at every step, and unmasks who stood to gain from the accusations that were levelled at him and his community. But this book is far more than a tale of political persecution. It's also an incredible account of modern-day miracles, messianic omens and media manipulation. Most of all, it's the story of how the modern State of Israel came to perceive its own population of Haredi Jews as a much bigger existential threat than even a nuclear Iran, and the lengths it was willing to go to, to take one of Israel's biggest Rabbis down.