The special rabbinical court fighting sexual abuse, founded by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, has suffered two major cyberassaults — with hundreds of millions of bot hits crippling its website — in what is believed to be a coordinated intimidation campaign by criminal elements tied to a disgraced rabbi.
The special rabbinical court established by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu to confront sexual abuse within the community has come under fierce cyber and physical attack, with experts warning the campaign is designed to silence its work and protect alleged offenders.
Cyber Onslaught: 457 Million Hits in One Night
The latest assault struck overnight, when the court’s website was bombarded with approximately 457 million simultaneous visits — a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that overloaded servers and shut down operations temporarily.
This marks the second major cyberattack in recent weeks, with bot traffic traced to China, the United States, and multiple other countries. The court’s cyber defense team has since restored the site to full functionality.
Harassment Campaign Targets Dayanim
Alongside the cyberattacks, Dayanim Rabbi Zion Boaron and Rabbi Aharon Yarchi have faced escalating harassment:
- Hostile pashkevils (public posters) against them
- Acts of physical violence
- Forged signatures in their names
Criminal Retaliation Suspected
Investigators believe the attacks originate from criminal associates of a rabbi from Elad. The court recently issued a public warning against him after allegations emerged that he exploited a woman in distress.
Sources say the rabbi wields significant financial resources and has ties to criminal networks — now allegedly using them to intimidate and disrupt the court’s activities.
Court’s Defiant Stand
The special court is weighing a police complaint and potential involvement of Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, while consulting legal experts on preventive measures.
In a forceful statement, the court declared:
“This involves a rabbi with significant financial resources and questionable ties to criminals, who seeks revenge for our warning… The Torah defines such acts as murder. No bullying or violence will help — we will not be deterred.”
The attacks highlight the high-stakes battle between religious leaders confronting abuse and entrenched forces seeking to shield alleged predators — a confrontation now spilling from the streets into cyberspace.
